fall 2011 | volume xlii | issue 4 in this issue
On the Profession Homenaje a Carlos Iván Degregori por Kimberly Theidon Muchos recuerdos, un compromiso por Elizabeth Jelin A Way of Living in the World: Carlos Iván Degregori by Steve J. Stern Palabras para Carlos Iván Degregori por Félix Reátegui-Carrillo En memoria del maestro por Mariano Aronés Palomino Remembering Carlos Iván Degregori by Peter Winn Contemplación, curiosidad, comprensión y crítica por Tamia Portugal Es difícil por Rosa Solano
Debates The Illness of President Hugo Chávez Frías: Catalyst for Crisis or Revolutionary Consolidation? by David J. Myers Venezuela entre incertidumbres y sorpresas por Margarita López Maya A Future Without Chávez? by Daniel Hellinger President Maria Hermínia Tavares de Almeida, Universidade de São Paulo [email protected]
Vice President Evelyne Huber, University of North Carolina
Past President John Coatsworth, Columbia University Table of Contents Treasurer Cristina Eguizábal, Florida International University
Executive Council por Maria Hermínia Tavares de Almeida 1 Informe de la Presidenta | For term ending April 2012 Roberto Blancarte, Colegio de México On the Profession Gwen Kirkpatrick, Georgetown University Kimberly Theidon, Harvard University
2 Homenaje a Carlos Iván Degregori | por Kimberly Theidon For term ending October 2013: Rosalva Aída Hernández Castillo, Centro de Investigaciones 3 Muchos recuerdos, un compromiso | por Elizabeth Jelin y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social Maxine Molyneux, University of London 5 A Way of Living in the World: Carlos Iván Degregori | by Steve J. Stern Gioconda Herrera, FLACSO/Ecuador
6 Palabras para Carlos Iván Degregori | por Félix Reátegui-Carrillo Ex Officio Gabriela Nouzeilles, Princeton University 7 En memoria del maestro | por Mariano Aronés Palomino Timothy J. Power, University of Oxford Milagros Pereyra-Rojas, University of Pittsburgh 8 Remembering Carlos Iván Degregori | by Peter Winn Philip Oxhorn, McGill University 9 Contemplación, curiosidad, comprensión y crítica | por Tamia Portugal Forum Editorial Committee 9 Es difícil | por Rosa Solano Editor Maria Hermínia Tavares de Almeida, debates Universidade de São Paulo Managing Editor 10 The Illness of President Hugo Chávez Frías: Catalyst for Crisis or Revolutionary Milagros Pereyra-Rojas, University of Pittsburgh Consolidation? | by David J. Myers Forum Editorial Advisory Committee 13 Venezuela entre incertidumbres y sorpresas | por Margarita López Maya Carlos Ivan Degregori, Instituto de Estudios Peruanos Katherine Hite, Vassar College 17 A Future Without Chávez? | by Daniel Hellinger Hilda Sábato, Universidad de Buenos Aires
Calling all members LASA Staff Membership Coordinator 20 Elections 2011 María Soledad Cabezas, University of Pittsburgh Congress Coordinator Melissa A. Raslevich, University of Pittsburgh
Assistant Director for Institutional Advancement Sandra Klinzing, University of Pittsburgh
Communications Specialist Ryan Lincoln, University of Pittsburgh
Executive Director Milagros Pereyra-Rojas, University of Pittsburgh
Administrative Coordinator Israel R. Perlov, University of Pittsburgh
The LASA Forum is published four times a year. It is the official vehicle for conveying news about the Latin American Studies Association to its members. Articles appearing in the On the Profession and Debates sections of the Forum are commissioned by the Editorial Committee and deal with selected themes. The Committee welcomes responses to any material published in the Forum.
Opinions expressed herein are those of individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Latin American Studies Association or its officers.
ISSN 0890-7218 Informe de la Presidenta por Maria Hermínia Tavares de Almeida | Universidade de São Paulo | [email protected]
Científicos sociales tratan de tornar la sociedad venezolana —así como entre inteligibles los procesos resultantes de la los estudiosos de la política de Venezuela— acción humana. Al hacerlo unos indagan provocada por la ascensión de Chávez. sobre las diferentes razones que Desde ahí la polarización política en aquel fundamentan el comportamiento de país, lejos de reducirse, se profundizó. De individuos y grupos, orientados por la misma manera se radicalizó el proceso representaciones socialmente construidas capitaneado por Chávez, que para unos de sus intereses, valores y anhelos. Otros lleva el país, a pasos ligeros, a una creen que el camino del conocimiento pasa modalidad de autocracia electoral, mientras por desentrañar una racionalidad universal que para otros avanza hacia un novedoso subyacente a las conductas colectivas, socialismo. En ese período, muchos haciéndolas inteligibles y, si es posible, escenarios del futuro fueran diseñados para previsibles en el sentido estocástico del Venezuela. Por supuesto, la desaparición término. del líder no surgía como posibilidad en ninguno de ellos. Frente a un proceso tan Sea cual fuere la forma de abordar los dominado por un liderazgo personal, cuyo fenómenos sociales, lo que hacemos es proyecto era permanecer en el poder hasta siempre tratar de buscar razones. Quizá 2031, ¿qué puede pasar cuando su por ese motivo tenemos mucha dificultad omnipresencia está amenazada por la ipsa para lidiar con eventos inesperados que humana fragilidad? rompen ex abrupto el curso de los acontecimientos, como son las catástrofes Lo inesperado, que unos llaman destino, naturales y especialmente las catástrofes también privó a la comunidad de los humanas provocadas por la enfermedad y latinoamericanistas de uno de sus más la muerte. notables colegas: el sociólogo peruano Carlos Iván Degregori. En su homenaje, Los temas tratados en esta edición de publicamos ocho cortos testimonios de LASA Forum vienen teñidos por este colegas que tuvieron la suerte y el privilegio último tipo de acontecimientos inesperados. de convivir con “el CID”. Ellos fueron En Debates, David Myers, Margarita López reunidos con cariño por Kimberly Theidon Maya y Daniel Hellinger discuten las y hablan a nombre de todos nosotros. consecuencias de la grave enfermedad de Carlos Iván fue el último ganador del Hugo Chávez para el futuro de Venezuela. Martin Diskin Award, un reconocimiento de LASA a la acción de un gran intelectual En la edición de invierno del 2007, bajo el público. n titulo de “For and Against Chávez: The Debate Continues”, habíamos reunido en Debates un conjunto de artículos representativos de la profunda escisión en
1 lasaforum fall 2011 : volume xlii : issue 4 on the profession
Homenaje a Carlos Iván Degregori por Kimberly Theidon | Harvard University | [email protected]
El 17 de mayo, 2011, nuestro gran colega y de cada ser humano con quien hablaba amigo Carlos Iván Degregori se falleció. nunca varió. Estoy convencida que esta Cuando me pidieron desde LASA que capacidad contribuyó en maneras escribiera un homenaje a Carlos Iván incalculables a la labor de la CVR, y a la —o “El CID” como lo llamamos con sensibilidad y agudeza analítica de su cariño— sabía de inmediato que una sola Informe Final. persona nunca podría comunicar la influencia profunda que él tenía sobre Gracias a Carlos Iván por todo, y a mis todos y todas quienes tuvimos el placer y colegas por compartir sus recuerdos con privilegio de conocerlo. Para ofrecer un nosotros y nosotras. n homenaje adecuado, se necesitaría varias voces —y aquí están. Les agradezco a cada uno y una por sus palabras sentidas, las cuales nos ayudan a entender lo querido y admirado que fue El CID.
Recuerdos míos hay en abundancia, sin duda porque nadie tuvo una mayor influencia sobre mis propios estudios y trayectoria intelectual que Carlos Iván. Al principio fue por medio de sus prolíficas publicaciones, después por medio de tantas conversaciones enriquecedoras. En su generosidad académica y humana, definió lo que significa ser “mentor”. Empero, más allá de su influencia como antropólogo, fue su manera de ser que siempre me impresionó.
Durante la época de la Comisión de la Verdad y Reconciliación (CVR), tuve la oportunidad de ver como Carlos Iván interactuó con congresistas, empresarios, oficiales castrenses, jóvenes investigadores, autoridades comunales, y mujeres rurales quechuahablantes. Para algunos, el trato que extienden a otras personas varía según el estrato socioeconómico a lo cual esas personas pertenecen. Es decir, la corbata merece un calibre de cordialidad, y la falda pollera otra. Pero jamás con Carlos Iván. Su capacidad de ver la dignidad intrínseca
2 on the profession
Muchos recuerdos, un compromiso por E lizabeth Jelin | Consejo Nacional de Investigación Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina [email protected]
Aun cuando sea esperada, la muerte continuos alrededor de los temas que, de derechos humanos, según la cual se siempre golpea. Tuve varias conversaciones distinta manera en cada uno, combinaban identifican daños, víctimas y responsables con Carlos Iván en los últimos meses. En la búsqueda más racional de explicaciones individualizados, y la idea de comunidades una de ellas, me decía que siente que e interpretaciones sobre la violencia política enteras que fueron destruidas o necesitaría toda otra vida para llegar a y sus memorias con nuestras propias desarticuladas por años de violencia. hacer todo lo que le quedaba por hacer. La emociones y afectos, nuestros compromisos ¿Llevar un registro de cada una de las conversación giró hacia pensar juntos que cívicos y políticos. violaciones a las que cada persona fue eso nos pasa a todos y a todas quienes sometida? ¿Poner el acento sobre las vivimos con plenitud, con proyectos Carlos Iván estaba muy dolido y dimensiones comunitarias y colectivas? La renovados, con ganas y con curiosidad. Y preocupado por Perú. Miraba las salida fue reconocer la tensión e incluir que lo que hay que tomar en cuenta es que transiciones que se estaban viviendo y las ambos niveles, lo cual permitió al informe uno deja los hilos y los retazos con lo que elaboraciones del pasado dictatorial en los de la CVR —producto de una labor quienes quedan pueden seguir tejiendo y otros países con algo de envidia, con la colectiva elaborada con esfuerzo, sabiduría cosiendo, armando nuevos proyectos a ilusión de que algo tenía que pasar en Perú. y dolor personalizado de cada partir de esos hilos. Y pasó. Pasaron los Vladivideos, la huida y comisionado/a— constituirse en una posterior renuncia de Fujimori y el propuesta clave para iniciar una Compartí con Carlos Iván proyectos varios. gobierno de transición que se estableció en construcción democrática en Perú. Desde El principal, de varios años, fue el Perú en noviembre de 2000. Lo que entonces, las ilusiones fueron alternándose programa que promovió la investigación y ningún analista había podido prever estaba con las frustraciones por los avatares la formación de investigadores/as jóvenes ocurriendo. Y llegó también la idea del políticos en Perú. sobre las memorias de la represión política Presidente Valentín Paniagua de establecer en el Cono Sur y Perú, desarrollado por el una Comisión de Verdad para investigar la Su pensamiento es complejo. Sea en sus Panel Regional de América Latina (RAP) violencia de las dos décadas anteriores en contribuciones académicas, centradas más del Social Science Research Council (con Perú. que nada en la realidad peruana, o en sus sede en Nueva York). Comenzamos a intervenciones en el debate público en Perú, pensarlo grupalmente hacia 1997, y Cuando su nombre empezó a circular como Carlos Iván transmitía una metodología de pudimos empezar a desarrollarlo en 1998, posible comisionado, Carlos Iván lo tomó trabajo que combinaba el rigor en el con un seminario en Montevideo y el con cautela: sabía que su responsabilidad análisis de la complejidad de los fenómenos lanzamiento del programa de becas. Carlos lo llevaría a aceptar si se lo proponían, que sociopolíticos, su compromiso ético por Iván estuvo en ese seminario, donde la había una deuda con las víctimas y con la denunciar desigualdades sociales y el profundidad de su análisis sobre el Perú sociedad peruana en su conjunto que debía racismo estructural, y su manera —tanto en las narraciones de la crueldad comenzar a ser saldada. Sabía también que especialmente cuidada y llena de encanto de los hechos como en la sutileza de sus si le tocaba esa tarea, venían tiempos de hacerlo. análisis y en su compromiso político- oscuros, difíciles de enfrentar —porque lo emocional— comenzaron a nutrir y que iba a tener que escuchar y tratar de Desde su dedicación, apego y generosidad enriquecer el diálogo y la construcción interpretar, más que inimaginable o hacia las generaciones jóvenes, entonces, colectiva que estábamos encarando. indecible era, como dice Jorge Semprún, debemos asumir el compromiso de seguir invivible. hilando, tejiendo y cosiendo. Creo que ese A partir de esa instancia, su presencia fue será el mejor recuerdo y el mejor homenaje central en el desarrollo del Programa. La Las conversaciones sobre los desafíos que a nuestro queridísimo CID. primera cohorte de becarios/as cubría cinco la labor de la Comisión entrañaba eran países —Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Paraguay interminables. Su sabiduría y su PD Les pedí a colegas con quienes y Uruguay— y al año siguiente se compromiso con enfrentar las compartimos esos años y esas tareas que incorporaron también becarios/as de Perú. consecuencias de discriminaciones juntemos nuestros recuerdos: Compartimos la coordinación del estructurales de larga data en el Perú lo programa durante los años siguientes, con hicieron especialmente sensible a la tensión El siempre encontraba qué decir ante cada seminarios, talleres, lecturas y diálogos —si no paradoja— entre una lógica de los situación, y encontraba el cómo, no solo
3 lasaforum fall 2011 : volume xlii : issue 4
con agudeza intelectual sino en la forma; mi juicio nos deja como herencia. (Laura humana; la imagen del profesor ideal, con no solo en la expresividad que le daba a las Mombello) libros, calle, y ética no impostada; pero palabras, sino también en como manejaba sobre todo, el resonar de la música, el los tonos de su habla, hasta las pausas. Quedé atrapada por sus retratos de gentes cuerpo palpitando, la sonrisa extasiada y (Alvaro Degiorgi) y paisajes sociales que describía con tanta sudorosa comandando un meneaito. (Diego sensibilidad y al mismo tiempo con tanto Escolar) Hay muchos académicos interesantes, realismo. Su trabajo en la Comisión, el inteligentes, trabajadores y hasta contacto con la gente, con los testimonios y Un raro ser que se mueve entre las materias comprometidos. Carlos Iván transmitió sus textos sobre la violencia en Perú fueron sensibles del arte y el conocimiento sin todo eso, pero pocas veces me ha tocado el producto de su fuerza para contar, quedar manchado ni por la ingenuidad ni conocer hombres cálidos, cariñosos, que reclamar y transmitir. (Susi Kaufman) por la soberbia. Hablaba poéticamente y saben escuchar, agradecer, estimular, tal vez por eso sus citas se articulaban con compartir. Su humildad, su sonrisa, y la Me impresionó su solvencia académica y su sus exposiciones académicas de una manera calidez de sus abrazos, en un académico cancha en la vida cotidiana, su amabilidad honda y natural. Sus charlas emanaban inteligente y comprometido como él, es lo en el trato y la capacidad de reflexionar y belleza. Daba ganas de seguir escuchándolo que yo quisiera encontrarme más seguido de dialogar formal e informalmente al por horas. Otro dato trivial: Carlos Iván en esa generación de intelectuales mismo tiempo. Su humor pícaro, reflexivo, jugaba admirablemente al ping-pong. latinoamericanos que nos han marcado. apareció con claridad. También sus (Angélica Cruz) preocupaciones por el futuro político y Ese hombre sensible y conocedor, afable y académico de su país. (Diego Sempol) de buena escucha, supo también ser La muerte me despierta muchas reflexiones valiente a la hora de comprometerse con la que nos trascienden como individuos. Y La sonrisa irónica y algo triste con la que titánica tarea de integrar la Comisión por particularmente en relación con los que evocaba su paso por la Universidad de la Verdad en Perú. Además de su legado, de trabajamos con el intelecto. ¿Qué dejamos? Ayacucho y la forma en la que había los proyectos que concretó, de las ideas que No creo que sean solo los libros. Hay una conocido a Abimael Guzmán, para luego, puso en acción, yo me quedo con su herencia inmaterial, sin copyrights claros, con toda humildad, ofrecerme un artículo sutileza, su capacidad para expresar lo sutil que permanece en las comunidades de su autoría que lo pinta de cuerpo entero de la acción humana, del pensamiento y el académicas. Conductas invisibles, una como intelectual: “Qué difícil es ser Dios”. sentir, los claroscuros, los matices, todo forma de leer, una manera de discutir, de Ya en el título aparecía lo que creo es su aquello que nos transmitía, como dice el argumentar, de citar un libro, de vivir la toque distintivo: siempre combinando la poeta, “el anhelo de no ser lo mismo y relación entre política y academia. (Aldo erudición con el conocimiento libresco y la buscar lo que asombra”. (Claudia Feld) n Marchesi) literatura, todo sazonado con la humildad de los grandes. (Federico Lorenz) “Se sienten pasos”. Así llamó Carlos Iván a su blog. Ese título lo pinta. Una mente Lo recuerdo claro en sus intervenciones, sagaz, un espíritu inquieto, expectante. Tres con la solvencia intelectual y la humildad dimensiones que en él parecían de los grandes, con un gran don de gentes y inseparables: la política, la académica, la una ecuanimidad académica que traducía personal. Jugadas con audacia, con humor, su saber estar en la vida. (Silvina Jensen) con compromiso y con desajustes, como sucede habitualmente con las personas que Lo que más me sorprendía de Carlos Iván como él, hacen lo que hacen para conjurar era el contraste entre las terribles tareas en eso que de otra forma les quedaría las que se veía comprometido y su carácter “apelmazado entre los colmillos”. Es esa modesto, alegre y festivo. El animador actitud de estar atento al pulso de los empático de los dolorosos debates y el líder tiempos y dispuesto, y abierto, pero resuelto de los bailes. Sus intervenciones también implacablemente crítico, lo que a siempre justas, catalizadoras ni su categoría
4 on the profession
A Way of Living in the World: Carlos Iván Degregori by Steve J. Stern | University of Wisconsin-Madison | [email protected]
Carlos Iván Degregori was a great person who pulls you into a community of not robbed him of lucidity and it had anthropologist, public intellectual, and debate, rather than pushing you out. created a different perspective with which mentor of students. His legacy of Another memorable moment came in 1989, to reflect. That reflection included an professional contributions is enormous and when we worked on the Peruvian edition honest awareness that he had accomplished indispensable. These statements are true, of a book on Andean rebellions, resistance, much of value. He had not lost the but they don’t go far enough. What made and consciousness. Carlos Iván translated capacity to laugh, or to take interest in Carlos Iván special was not simply his some of the essays, but his meticulousness others, or to analyze society and politics. incisive and creative intellect. Nor was it and nuance turned the mechanics of simply activism in pursuit of a more just, translation into the art of translation— Carlos Iván left a legacy of truthful, inclusive, and democratic society. a seminar on the subtle interplays of accomplishment. He also left a legacy of He joined his intellect and activism to a language, culture, and analysis. Maybe I affection. He lives in memory and heart, way of being in the world. That way was was sad when we finished. not only for me, but for many others. n open rather than closed, shaped by instincts empathetic and collaborative and eager to But it was not until later that I gained learn more. Without losing sight of his deeper insight into Carlos Iván’s way of own analysis, he knew how to learn from living in the world. During January to other people and experiences. May 1995, Carlos Iván joined the University of Wisconsin as a Tinker Visiting Carlos Iván’s way of being, as well as his Professor. He joined our planning intellect and civic activism, laid a strong committee for a conference at UW- foundation for the 2001-2003 Peruvian Madison on the Shining Path war, and we Truth and Reconciliation Commission. co-taught courses designed to prepare students for the conference. As a Carlos Iván knew how to live life as an conference organizer, Carlos Iván cared open journey, not a fixed destination. deeply about his role as mentor for a next Intellectually and experientially, he traveled generation of Peruvian intellectuals. across the divides that can breed mediocrity Younger Peruvians were important as or insularity. A poet as well as an persons whose research mattered and anthropologist, Carlos Iván infused needed support, and critical for the metaphorical sensibility and insight into his intellectual and civic future of his country. social science writings. He built a life as As a teacher of U.S. students, Carlos Iván researcher, journalist, and professor in was kind and truly inter-cultural. He made Lima in the 1980s, but remembered that the necessary critical analytical points, yet his foundational experience in Ayacucho in tempered them with awareness of the the 1970s was fundamental to understand limited contextual knowledge of non- Shining Path and the national war crisis. Peruvians. As an intellectual, he was An engaged citizen of Peru, he also taught hungry to read and discuss the works of abroad and thought comparatively about colleagues, and to read and discuss social legacies of atrocity. experiences beyond Peru.
Our friendship was a 35-year journey. We My last conversation with Carlos Iván was first got to know one another in 1977, not sad, at least not in the simple sense. when I lived in Ayacucho while working on The same rounded qualities of intellect, a doctoral dissertation. Notwithstanding civic engagement, and openness to the pressure cooker of social mobilization, experience had prepared him to approach repression, and splintered political ideology, his illness with considerable wisdom. The he was a warm interlocutor—the kind of cancer had brought suffering, but it had
5 lasaforum fall 2011 : volume xlii : issue 4 on the profession
Palabras para Carlos Iván Degregori por Félix Reátegui-Carrillo | Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú | [email protected]
Se ha dicho en estos últimos tiempos que el Un libro coescrito por Carlos Iván Perú contemporáneo no puede ser Degregori fue mi primer encuentro con la entendido sin recurrir a los escritos de ciencia social. Era su trabajo compartido Carlos Iván Degregori. La afirmación sobre la mentalidad de las nuevas podría sonar exagerada, pero en realidad generaciones de hijos de inmigrantes a encierra una rotunda verdad. El Perú de Lima: Conquistadores de un nuevo mundo. las últimas décadas es una sociedad que ha Después, muy pronto, me tocaría leer sus experimentado muchas transformaciones; escritos sobre Sendero Luminoso y sus es, sin duda, un país en transición. inclasificables trabajos sobre la política Interpretar un país así requiere de un peruana. No eran ciencia política, no eran espíritu abiertamente crítico; es decir, de antropología política; tampoco eran piezas una actitud crítica que, al mismo tiempo, periodísticas. Eran una reflexión original y no rehúya la empatía. Se necesita creativa, que visitaba las más diversas conocimientos y afectos, sentido de disciplinas para inventar algo a partir de urgencia y algunas dosis de paciencia, ellas: eran lo que, a la distancia, solemos indignación y voluntad de esperanza; se reconocer como el trabajo de un intelectual precisa, en suma, sabiduría. Carlos Iván libre. fue, fundamentalmente, un hombre sabio en ese amplio sentido. Y de esa sabiduría, Pero, si sus libros fueron, son, un de esa voluntad de comprender y de juzgar aprendizaje ineludible para todo aprendiz con justicia, están impregnados sus escritos. de las ciencias sociales en Perú, tuve la fortuna de recibir de Carlos Iván una Se decía de él que era uno de los pocos enseñanza directa, personal, cálida sobre lo científicos sociales que en el Perú cultivan el que podríamos llamar una “ética de la buen gusto en la escritura. Algunos sabiduría”. Como colaborador suyo en la atribuían ese don a su pasado recóndito de elaboración del Informe Final de la poeta. Pero más acertado sería atribuirlo, Comisión de la Verdad y Reconciliación, precisamente, a ese deseo suyo de pensar aprendí de él el arte de equilibrar los con empatía, de no ahorrar observaciones matices y el rigor, tanto en la construcción críticas ni juicios severos sobre las de un argumento científico cuanto en la realidades que estudiaba, pero siempre afirmación y la defensa de una postura rodeándolos de una expresión risueña, de moral. Ser firmes en la crítica, y al mismo una atención al detalle y a las tiempo dejar un puente tendido para el circunstancias. Esa atención se pone en diálogo: esa es la lección que recibí, una acto en sus escritos; estos nos dicen que el lección que emanaba de nuestras charlas, Perú de nuestro tiempo —el de las ciudades pero sobre todo de su talante. Eran días de cada vez más andinas y rurales, el del indignación, eran días de estupor ante el campo cada vez más abocado a una Perú que habíamos descubierto. Fueron, modernización violenta y monocorde, el del para mí, además, días en que mi persistente racismo y el de una inequidad admiración por el escritor se extendió hacia que impacienta y subleva— merece algo ese hombre sencillo e inteligente, que más que recetas, dogmas y asertos sonreía casi como excusándose por ser tan mecánicos: amerita comprensión, pero no brillante, en quien encontré un maestro y para aceptar dócilmente el status quo sino un amigo inolvidable. n para construir esperanza sobre la base del conocimiento.
6 on the profession
En memoria del maestro por Mariano Aronés Palomino | Fundación Acción Contra el Hambre, Perú | [email protected]
Lo sentía distante y cercano a la vez. Comencé a admirarlo y a entablar con él Había comenzado mi travesura una relación de afecto intelectual, casi igual antropológica y lo más que sabía de ella era o mayor al que mantengo con Arguedas o lo bonito que hablaba de las comunidades, Mariátegui. Los leo y releo, no solo porque de sus “creencias”, de sus costumbres, de lo intento aprender de ellos, sino más bien “bien” que funcionaba la vida al interior de porque representan la esperanza de una ellas. En mi colegio no faltaba un patria con todos y para todos. En mi caso, antropólogo en el jurado calificador de los porque alientan las ganas de vivir, porque concursos de danzas folklóricas, ya sea del cuando mi país, ha veces se torna “ipu para” o “del trigo eray”. Me decía nauseabunda, como cuando casi elegimos a qué bonito es ser antropólogo, estudiar y la hija del dictador, leerlos es como volver a dar a conocer la vida de las comunidades la vida y encontrarle sentido. Y Carlos campesinas. “Debo ser uno de ellos”, me Iván es eso, Degregori también y Caso decía. mucho más.
Pero al mismo tiempo había crecido en Gracias Maestro y descansa tranquilo. Has medio de dinamitas, de esas que Sendero cumplido con creces tu papel de peruano, Luminoso detonaba en la puerta de alguna de antropólogo e intelectual público. A tu institución pública. Pero también cantando luz, quienes te seguimos lo seguiremos el himno patrio, mientras el “Glorioso” haciendo, pendiente de nuestro país, y Ejército Peruano incursionaba en Putis o en pendiente también de tu llamado, de tu Accomarca, en Cayara o en La Cantuta, correo, de tu aliento, de tu mirada con sus caras pintadas, diciendo “concha tu sonriente, de tu seriedad cuando exponías o madre”, para luego asesinar senderistas o de tus garabatos de cuando pensabas. no senderistas y sobre sus cuerpos inertes Pendientes también de tus escritos en gritar “¡viva la patria!” Mis sentimientos Ideele, Argumentos, Perú 21 o La se encontraban entonces, pues el cariño que República, o de tus certeros libros, que con sentía por las comunidades campesinas se “talante cachaciento” (uso tus palabras) fue diluyendo gracias al “Presidente hablaban del Perú, de sus problemas y sus Gonzalo”, o gracias también a Clemente posibilidades. Noel, aquel General que había convertido el cuartel “Los Cabitos” de Ayacucho en un Hasta siempre maestro. n verdadero campo de concentración. Comencé más bien a mirarlos con reparo, tratando de comprenderlos, en sus virtudes y en sus defectos, tratando en lo posible de no creerme “lo bonito” que decían de ellas los antropólogos.
Entonces, algo me llevó a su libro, tal vez su nombre. Carlos Iván Degregori, me sabía místico. Me devoré entonces uno de sus mejores libros, El surgimiento de Sendero Luminoso. Y desde entonces comprendí que no había mejor forma de comprender lo que pasaba en mi país y en mi Ayacucho, si no a través de su prosa.
7 lasaforum fall 2011 : volume xlii : issue 4 on the profession
Remembering Carlos Iván Degregori by Peter Winn | Tufts University | [email protected]
Carlos Ivan and I became friends in 1993, past in both the Andean Region and the the 2010 LASA Martin Diskin Award for when he was Tinker Visiting Professor at Southern Cone, including the important activist scholarship. Columbia University. For many years after role played by truth commissions in Chile that we were “LASA friends,” who would and Argentina. His final blog, analyzing Peruvian politics make sure to have a lengthy lunch or in the lead-up to its runoff presidential dinner at LASA meetings or at other As the SSRC program was drawing to a election was a typical combination of conferences we attended. Our conversation close, Carlos Iván was asked to become a insight, wisdom and style. It was posted was mostly about Peruvian politics, and commissioner on the Peruvian Truth and only a month before his foretold death, Carlos Iván was an incisive analyst, as well Reconciliation Commission (CVR) formed after long goodbyes to friends, relatives, as an engaged intellectual. after the fall of Fujimori. I remember him students and colleagues. In the personal, in giving a cautiously optimistic impromptu the public, in the political, Carlos Iván We talked at length about Sendero talk about the CVR for the SSRC fellows at Degregori was a model to us all. His Luminoso. Carlos Iván’s years teaching at their final meeting in Ica in December passing leaves all of us poorer. He will be Ayacucho’s Universidad Nacional de San 2001, at a time when its likely outcomes sorely missed. n Cristóbal de Huamanga gave him a unique were still unclear. His caution was perspective on Sendero. “Abimael Guzmán understandable given Peru’s recent history, was my dean and signed my paychecks,” he but mostly misplaced where the CVR was would tell me with an ironic laugh, concerned. The CVR would prove a detailing Sendero’s efforts to recruit him. transforming experience for Peru, and for Degregori’s book, El surgimiento de Carlos Iván. He would play a major role Sendero Luminoso: Ayacucho, 1969-1979, on the CVR and emerge as one of Peru’s published in 1990, is still essential reading leading public intellectuals. for anyone who wants to understand Sendero and political violence in Peru The Commission’s report, with Carlos Iván during the 1980s and 1990s. Soon Carlos as a principal writer, stressed the need to Iván would be in a position to officially place the deaths of almost 70,000 rural document that violence and explain indigenous Peruvians within the larger Sendero Luminoso to all of Peru, and to context of the country’s history of racism, help reshape his country’s historical inequality and neglect. When I visited him memory of its tragic past. in Lima, Carlos Iván insisted that I see Yuyanapaq, the remarkable photography Our friendship both deepened and took a exhibit created in the wake of the CVR to different turn during the first years of the transmit its findings to broader publics who new century when I was asked by the were unlikely to read its dense volumes of Social Science Research Council (SSRC) to evidence and critical analysis, an exhibit evaluate its program on collective memory that broadly contextualized Peru’s recent that Carlos Iván co-directed with Elizabeth political violence. Carlos Iván had the Jelin, a program to train young Latin gratifying experience of putting his American scholars in memory studies. knowledge into practice, and having that Carlos Iván worked mostly with the practice transform his knowledge. But, as Peruvian fellows in the program and it an activist scholar, he worried about what became clear to me in the course of my would happen to the CVR’s evaluation that he was their mentor as well recommendations after its report was as their teacher. My role as external presented and published, and continued to evaluator led to long conversations with research and write about Peru’s struggle for Carlos Iván about the battles over the truth, memory and justice during the years historical memory of the traumatic recent that followed. He was a fitting winner of
8 on the profession
Contemplación, curiosidad, Es difícil comprensión y crítica por Rosa Solano | Instituto de Estudios Peruanos | [email protected] por Tamia Portugal | Instituto de Estudios Peruanos [email protected]
Trabajé con Carlos Iván los dos últimos años. Su casa era Es difícil hablar de Carlos Iván, y lo es por dos razones: porque preciosa por su sencillez. Tenía lo necesario para una felicidad fue un increíble ser humano que ha dejado un gran vacío, y tranquila. Violetas, un escritorio, adornos bellos —la mayoría porque tengo aún dificultad en conciliar los tiempos de los verbos ayacuchanos— libros, un pequeño equipo de música. Me y hablar de él en tiempo pasado. Su calidad humana va de la reconocía intimidada cuando él abría la puerta: pronto escucharía mano con el intelectual que fue, un ser humano comprometido sus palabras para enseñarme nuevas dimensiones de la diversidad con los problemas de su tiempo. Amó la docencia, la cual le de existencias, con un compromiso político que implicaba permitía enseñar y sobre todo aprender y fue así que nos dejó, contemplación, curiosidad, comprensión y crítica. viendo la vida misma como un aprendizaje, pues a menudo repetía “aprendiendo a vivir se nos va la vida”. n Nunca me mostró autocompasión o rabia, ni en los momentos menos gratos. Ante las mezquindades solo perdía el hilo de su sonrisa para decir “en fin”, y continuaba buscando en nuestras conversaciones otro motivo de curiosidad y asombro.
Se sorprendía no solo de los hallazgos del trabajo, sino también de encontrar —en su camino de trámites y tratamientos— tanta gente que le daba una mano. En realidad, no hacía más que recoger lo que en su andar por la vida había creado: esos lazos de energía que lo ponían en contacto con la bondad de tantos corazones antes tocados por él.
La vida de Carlos Iván significa mucho para mi país. Nos permite reconocer, con la mente y el corazón, lo que nos enriquece y lo que nos falta, para actuar con humildad y aprender que todo lo que otro ofrece tiene un valor único. n
9 lasaforum fall 2011 : volume xlii : issue 4 debates
The Illness of President Hugo Chávez Frías: Catalyst for Crisis or Revolutionary Consolidation? by David J. Myers | Penn State University | [email protected]
Introduction credible as Venezuela approaches the 2012 the first time, he declared that he was a presidential election? Marxist. Eleven months later the Chavista- On June 30, 2011 President Hugo Chávez controlled National Assembly (AN) passed unsettled Venezuelan politics by revealing an “enabling law” that gave the president that doctors had removed a cancerous Venezuelan Polity on the Eve of the Cancer legislative powers for eighteen months and tumor from his abdomen and that he Announcement approved a collection of laws (the so-called would undergo chemotherapy. The Cuban Package) that imposed most of the 56-year-old president had opined on many Measures introduced by President Chávez changes that had been rejected in the occasions that he expected to continue in during the run-up to presidential elections referendum of December 2007. These office until 2031, but the discovery of in 2006 tilted the electoral playing field in actions brought a strong public rebuke cancer raised questions about his ability to his favor. Nevertheless, opposition political from the Archbishop of Caracas, Cardinal run in the 2012 presidential election. leaders did not repeat the mistake made Jorge Urosa Savino. Opponents of the regime feared that should during his first term when on three Hugo Chávez Frías win those elections he occasions they attempted to remove him by As of June 2011 social and economic would snuff out the last vestiges of force. In 2006 the opposition played by conditions in Venezuela were improving. representative democracy, impose a the rules when they ran Manuel Rosales in This reinforced positive attitudes toward command economy, restrict civil liberties the presidential election and Rosales the Chávez government (52 percent of and render political competition graciously recognized President Chavez’s those polled) and identification with the meaningless. For this reason they had victory. Two years later, in regional official political party, PSUV (30 percent). united in an umbrella organization, the elections, opposition political parties Except for the construction industry, the United Democratic Table (MUD), to competed and elected governors in the economy had recovered from the recession contest the upcoming presidential election. most populous states. In the legislative of 2009. Industrial production was up 7.8 Chávez’s supporters, in contrast, looked elections of December 7, 2010 opposition percent, Gross Domestic Product had forward to consolidating their socialist candidates split the popular vote evenly grown 4.5 percent and unemployment model during the 2013–2019 presidential with candidates of the government political hovered around 8.5 percent. The rate of term. Indeed, most Venezuelan elites saw party, the Partido Socialista Unido de government spending was set to increase by the 2012 presidential election as a possible Venezuela (PSUV). However, the electoral one third, which would benefit the tipping point. system limited opposition parties to 40 pro-government middle class known as the percent of National Assembly deputies. “Boliburgesía.” High crime rates and lack This work examines the impact of of personal security remained a major President Hugo Chávez’s illness on Abandonment of efforts to remove problem, as did deterioration of the Venezuelan politics. It views Venezuela as President Chávez by extra-constitutional physical infrastructure. On balance, approaching an important fork on the path means did not soften his hostility toward however, satisfaction with economic gains of political development. Tensions are the opposition. For him they remained Los trumped concern over increasing social escalating but President Chávez’s illness did Escuálidos (the squalid ones), linked to the control by the state. not create the tensions; it merely added discredited political parties, the oligarchy, seasoning to an already dicey situation. multinational corporations and the U.S. Probing the political impact of the government. In December 2007 President Fallout From the Illness President’s illness requires us to ask four Chávez held a referendum that would questions: What were the salient allow for his indefinite reelection, end the In his June 30 address to the nation characteristics of the country’s politics on Central Bank’s autonomy and recentralize President Chávez declared that he was well June 30, 2011? How did the announcement the state. Voters rejected these changes, but along the road to recovery. However, by President Chávez that he had cancer in a second referendum on February 14, reports circulated that he had only a 50 affect the behavior of important political 2009 they approved reelection for all office percent chance to live more than eighteen actors? How did the President deal with holders. This emboldened the president months. Vice-President Elías Jaua and the the reaction of political actors to his who speeded up the pace of social cabinet quickly proclaimed their unity in illness? What political scenarios are most transformation. On January 15, 2010, for support of the stricken leader, but
10 uncertainty over the nature of Chávez’s Within the opposition, reaction was University, President Chávez concluded illness sparked the fiercest conflict within guarded to news of the president’s illness. with the boast that “the transition that is his movement since it had taken power. In the first place, opposition leaders did not coming is to socialism.” In subsequent Two important factions emerged. One know how grave the illness was. Most television appearances he displayed his fiery centered on the military and the other believed that a life-threatening or rhetoric by calling the opposition MUD a included leftist civilians such as Foreign incapacitating illness presented them with a “nest of serpents and snakes.” On July 17, Minister Nicolas Maduro, Vice President golden opportunity to defeat the Chavistas as he departed for Havana to begin a new Jaua and the President’s older brother, in free elections. However, open rejoicing round of chemotherapy, President Chávez Adán Chávez. over the president’s predicament would boasted that he would rise “like a phoenix.” appear to be in poor taste and likely He appeared satisfied that he had Diosdado Cabello and Jessie Chacón cast self-defeating. Thus, opposition leaders succeeded in restoring the political long shadows within the armed forces. attended public religious services in which situation to what it was prior to the They belonged to the President’s military Roman Catholic, evangelical and Santeria announcement of his illness. cohort and acted as trusted lieutenants in clergy offered prayers for the President and the unsuccessful coup of February 4, 1992. petitioned for his recovery. Those who Chávez returned to Caracas on July 23 and Each received an important cabinet planned to compete in the opposition remained in Venezuela until September 17, portfolio under President Chávez, but more primary elections scheduled for February when he again journeyed to Cuba for a recently they had devoted themselves to 12 followed the lead of Henrique Capriles fourth (and final?) round of chemotherapy. private economic activity and accumulated Radonski, the governor of Miranda State, Soon after his return he announced that he fortunes. Many active-duty military who declared that he looked forward to would run for reelection as president. A personnel are also rumored to have campaigning against and defeating a flood of press releases from the President’s amassed personal wealth. These healthy President Chávez in the 2012 office followed, highlighting the opportunities would vanish if the Chavista presidential elections. Comandante’s determination to fight for movement lost power. Like most of the his people while defeating the disease that President’s supporters his generals were not had invaded his body. However, he no confident that Chavismo without Chávez Reasserting Control and Regaining longer appeared on television for hours at a could carry the day. News of the Momentum time, as he had in the past. When he did president’s cancer led the generals to begin appear in public he emphasized the themes laying the groundwork for justifying their Infighting among his supporters brought that marked his discourse since 2007: the refusal to accept defeat in the 2012 President Chávez back to Caracas on July importance of completing the transition to presidential elections. 4, earlier than planned. In a meeting with Twenty-First Century socialism, the visiting heads of state the following evening corruption of the oligarchy and their Militantly leftist Chavista civilian leaders and by appearing at Fort Tiuna (the most “squalid” minions and the dangers posed made many of the same calculations as important military base in Caracas) on the by the United States. their military comrades. As early as June morning of July 7 President Chávez 27 Adán Chávez opined in the Venezuelan proclaimed that he remained in control. Opposition leaders responded to the media that it would be “unforgivable” for During an early morning jog with cadets at President’s improving health and efforts to the government “to limit itself only to Fort Tiuma their comandante told reporters accelerate the Bolivarian Revolution by electoral ways, and not to pursue other that never again would the opposition resuming preparations to fight what they methods of struggle, including armed govern the fatherland. On that afternoon viewed as an epic battle for survival. More struggle,” to stay in power. This suggested the President convened a cabinet meeting opposition politicians announced their that ideological and operational differences during which he confirmed the portfolios intention to run in the February opposition between the two factions of Chavismo were of all incumbents and added a new primary elections while promising to not great. The core conflict between them, Minister of Youth (Mari Pili Hernández). campaign for the victor in the general and it should not be underestimated, was The following week, in a highly publicized election. As of late September, Henrique over control of the rent-dispensing state. telephone call to educators at the Capriles Radonsky (Governor of the state headquarters of the National Bolivarian of Miranda) and Pablo Pérez (Governor of
11 lasaforum fall 2011 : volume xlii : issue 4
the state of Zulia) had established cancer incapacitate him two other scenarios armed forces could maintain order and themselves as first-tier candidates. The will come into play. preserve the revolution. Regardless, it is former appealed mainly to interests that in clear that the return of the President’s the previous regime had backed the Social In the first, the President’s older brother cancer would destabilize Venezuela, Christian party (COPEI). The latter drew Adán or Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro transform Chavismo and open the door to support from groups once associated with would step forward. In consultation with victory by the opposition in the 2012 Acción Democrática, the social democratic the Castro brothers—who have much to presidential election. The scenario in which party. The chronology of confrontation lose if the opposition wins the 2012 President Chávez is capable of conducting gelled in mid-September, when the National presidential election—Chávez nominates a credible reelection campaign appears Electoral Council scheduled the presidential either Adán or Maduro as the government’s more probable. n election for October 7, 2012 and the presidential candidate. The former has regional elections for governor and state been the President’s top liaison with Cuba’s legislatures for December. In a brazen regime. He is currently governor of the challenge to the government, the MUD Chávez family’s native Barinas state and is petitioned the National Assembly to pass a part of the Chavismo’s radical leftist, transition law, arguing that it was necessary pro-Cuban wing. Nicolas Maduro is close because the government would surely lose to the President, charismatic and more the election. President Chávez called the popular with the inner circle than Adán. petition “a bad joke.” Both have indicated that they would go beyond “electoral ways” to insure that the To summarize, as of late September 2011 revolution remained in power. the political ground in Venezuela lay much as it had in early June, prior to the cancer The second scenario revolves about a surgery. In addition, President Chávez had military-supported “Boliburgesía” announced that he would run for a third candidate. It would come to pass should a term and half of all Venezuelans viewed his fierce power struggle erupt within the government favorably. The Comandante president’s inner circle. To prevent chaos, appeared capable of waging a vigorous Venezuela’s military hierarchy would reelection campaign although doubts persuade the president to appoint former persisted. The position of the opposition Vice President Diosdado Cabello—Chávez’s was not hopeless. It was better organized all-purpose aide—as the government’s than at any time since the national elections presidential candidate. This would appeal of 1998. Nevertheless, President Chávez to top military officers who have become stood an excellent chance of winning a multimillionaires but do not support a third term. This would devastate the Cuban-style communist model. Also, the opposition’s ability to prevent him from military fears that radical civilians in the dismantling the last vestiges of inner circle would replace the armed forces representative democracy. with Cuban-styled semi-independent territorial militias. In the final analysis the generals would support Cabello because Health, Still the Wild Card they believe he would lead a crony capitalist government without abandoning The “Chávez Recovery Scenario” discussed Chávez’s radical leftist rhetoric. above assumes that the President will be able to conduct a credible reelection President Chávez would likely prefer the campaign. However, should the return of first alternative although he might opt for the second if he believed that only the
12 debates
Venezuela entre incertidumbres y sorpresas por Margarita López Maya | Universidad Central de Venezuela | [email protected]
Encarnando el Presidente Hugo Chávez especiales para garantizar la soberanía y se ha expresado en incontables uno de los liderazgos más carismáticos, defensa del territorio; y la ciudad como oportunidades. De modo que las mesiánicos y/o populistas de la política unidad político primaria de organización interpretaciones de la ley por parte del latinoamericana de todos los tiempos, este territorial en vez del municipio. La reforma Poder Judicial se ajustan a las exigencias año 2011 ha sido particularmente causó bastantes dudas y polémicas y fue del Presidente (López Maya y Lander, extravagante para mi país. El término rechazada en referendo popular ese 2010). extravagante puede sonar extraño para diciembre (López Maya, 2011). iniciar un análisis sociopolítico. Sin De esta manera 2011 abrió especialmente embargo, no encuentro otra palabra para Pese a este rechazo, Chávez continuó en su turbulento. En el país y afuera comenzó a caracterizar la atmósfera que se está empeño de modificar la democracia considerarse que Venezuela, en virtud de la viviendo en la sociedad venezolana como participativa según su nuevo proyecto Habilitante y del “paquetazo legislativo”, resultado de varias situaciones que se político. Consiguió una oportunidad a entraba en una fase ya más claramente estaban desarrollando con anterioridad, y fines del año siguiente. Al resultar en las dictatorial. ONG de derechos humanos el totalmente imprevisto episodio que saltó elecciones de gobernadores y alcaldes de denunciaron la Ley de Defensa de la en junio: la enfermedad del titánico noviembre de 2008 fortalecido el Partido Soberanía Política y Autodeterminación Presidente. Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV), Nacional, por la ambigüedad en las Chávez introdujo inmediatamente en la AN definiciones de organizaciones “políticas” Desde 2006, cuando Chávez fue reelecto una propuesta de enmienda constitucional afectadas por dicha ley, lo que vieron como para un segundo mandato con una mayoría para someter a aprobación popular una de estratagema gubernamental para debilitar y contundente, comenzó una fase nueva del las propuestas rechazadas: su reelección desaparecer cualquier organización de la proceso de cambios en Venezuela. El indefinida. Esta propuesta inicial fue sociedad civil que no fuera complaciente Presidente propuso lo que llamó una modificada poco después para hacerla con las políticas de Chávez (Tal Cual, radicalización de la democracia extensiva a todos los cargos de elección 5-1-11)1. Miembros de juntas parroquiales, participativa, dejando atrás el capitalismo, popular, lo que parece haber sido decisivo muchos de ellos chavistas, acudieron ante para ir a un “Socialismo del siglo XXI”. La para que fuera aprobada en referendo el Tribunal Supremo de Justicia (TSJ), para concreción de lo que significaba este realizado en febrero de 2009. Con esta exigirle la anulación de la reforma de la socialismo se dio en la propuesta de enmienda, las nuevas élites políticas Ley Orgánica del Poder Público Municipal reforma a la Constitución que Chávez obtuvieron un dispositivo legal importante por eliminar la elección de los integrantes presentó a la Asamblea Nacional (AN) en para su consolidación en el poder. de esas instancias de gobierno por comicios 2007. Durante la discusión en la AN universales, directos y secretos y pasar la —entonces totalmente controlada por Así mismo, el Presidente y sus seguidores elección a asambleas de los consejos partidarios del gobierno— se añadieron calcularon haberse recuperado totalmente comunales (El Nacional 22-1-2011). En el algunas propuestas más, lo que significó un de la derrota política sufrida en 2007 y plano internacional, el secretario general de proyecto de reforma a 69 artículos, para volvieron sobre las propuestas del la OEA aseveró que la ley Habilitante era introducir, entre otros, la reelección rechazado socialismo. Utilizando ahora la “completamente contraria’’ a la Carta indefinida del Presidente; la creación de AN, todavía controlada casi totalmente por Democrática Interamericana e insinuó la unas milicias populares llamadas ellos, las reformas rechazadas han venido posibilidad de que el organismo bolivarianas; la creación de un Poder siendo replanteadas como leyes. Esto ha multilateral convocase una reunión para Popular que no seguiría el principio del sido un camino de dudosa legalidad y deliberar sobre este asunto. Muy similar sufragio universal, directo y secreto; legitimidad, pues la Constitución es fueron las declaraciones del secretario de procesos de recentralización político- taxativa en asentar que reformas Estado Adjunto de EEUU (El Universal, administrativos; la elevación de los topes en constitucionales presentadas y rechazadas 7-1-11). el número de firmas necesarias para la en un período constitucional, deben esperar convocatoria de los diferentes referendos a uno nuevo para volver a proponerse (art. El presidente Chávez pareció afectado por populares; la potestad del Presidente para 345). Sin embargo, en la actualidad, la estas crecientes denuncias y el 15 de enero, crear regiones especiales con fines subordinación de los otros poderes al presentarse a la AN para entregar su estratégicos y nombrar autoridades públicos al presidente Chávez es diáfana y Memoria y Cuenta de 2010, negó que fuese
13 lasaforum fall 2011 : volume xlii : issue 4
un dictador y que tuviera un proyecto Castro, en lo que pareció el centro slogan “Patria socialista o muerte” por el comunista bajo la manga. Habló de hospitalario donde se recuperaba. El de “Viviremos y venceremos”, y ha superar la confrontación, eliminar la mensaje fue de pocos minutos, transmitido exhortado a los magistrados del TSJ para diatriba amigo-enemigo y pasar a hablar de en cadena nacional, donde el Presidente dio que dicten medidas cautelares a los presos adversarios políticos. Ofreció al nuevo la versión oficial de su mes de ausencia. con cáncer, lo que ocurrió inmediatamente. Parlamento reducir la Ley Habilitante de Explicó que había sido operado dos veces A sus seguidores pidió “unidad, unidad” y 18 a 5 meses de duración (El Universal, porque se le consiguió, luego de la primera acabar con el “caudillismo” [sic]. En una 16-1-11). Esto no pasó de ser una operación, células cancerígenas. Más reunión con empresarios, el vice-presidente declaración sin consecuencias, pues poco delgado y demacrado, pero en su estilo declaró que no busca “confrontar o después Chávez presentó “cinco líneas de titánico y épico característico, apeló a la aniquilar al sector privado” (Últimas acción” para el relanzamiento del PSUV imagen del abismo desde el cual luchaba Noticias, 28-7-2011). Otra novedad es que con cara a las elecciones de 2012, donde por salir, y convocó a dioses y santos: después de regresar por segunda vez de asentó como quinta línea “repolitizar” y “comencé a pedirle a mi señor Jesús, al Cuba, Chávez se presentó vestido de civil, “repolarizar”. Sobre su ofrecimiento de Dios de mis padres, diría Simón Bolívar; al dice que no hay porque vestirse de “rojo”, retirar o disminuir la Habilitante dijo: manto de la Virgen, diría mi madre Elena; a ahora usa lentes y cabeza rasurada, “Sigan gritando en el vacío (...) Bájense de los espíritus de la sabana, diría Florentino anunciando un “new look” y un nuevo esa nube…” (El Universal, 22-1-11). Coronado, para que me concedieran la estilo de gobernar. posibilidad de hablarles, no desde otro A inicios de mayo 2011, ciertos desarreglos sendero abismal, no desde una oscura Para concluir este análisis es necesario en la salud del Presidente lo obligaron a caverna o una noche sin estrellas. Ahora detenernos en el desempeño político de la posponer una gira a Brasil, Ecuador y quería hablarles desde este camino Mesa de la Unidad (MUD), plataforma de Cuba. La causa, se dijo, era una empinado por donde siento que voy coordinación de la mayoría de las fuerzas inflamación de rodilla, que lo mantenía saliendo ya de otro abismo. Ahora quería sociales y políticas de oposición. También guardando reposo. No es, empero, inusual hablarles con el sol del amanecer que siento mencionar al partido Patria Para Todos que Chávez se ausente algunos días del me ilumina. Creo que lo hemos logrado. (PPT), que se separó de la coalición de escrutinio público. Cuando ocurre, los ¡Gracias, Dios mío!” (Aporrea, 7-1-2011). gobierno y no se ha incorporado a la MUD medios oficiales alegan dolencias sin tratando de abrir una alternativa política importancia. El 4 de julio Chávez regresó al país, distinta a la polarizada. En las elecciones apareciendo esa tarde en el balcón del parlamentarias de 2010 la sumatoria de los Chávez salió de gira el 5 de junio, pero fue Palacio Presidencial, vestido de uniforme, votos del PPT fue de 354.677, un caudal el 11 cuando el gobierno informó que con la bandera en la mano y dándose pequeño pero nada deleznable con miras a había sido operado en La Habana. vítores a sí mismo2. Desde entonces, ha las presidenciales de 2012, probablemente Primero se diagnosticó su dolencia como vuelto a La Habana dos veces más para reñidas. un “absceso pélvico” y se dijo que se comenzar su tratamiento de quimioterapia, recuperaba sin problemas. Siguieron días del cual dijo que serían tres etapas (Últimas En las parlamentarias de 2010, los votos no con escasa y falsa información, lo que Noticias, 17-7-2011). El mes de julio se chavistas superaron los chavistas por produjo alarmas, rumores y diversas llenó de rezos, vigilias, y grabaciones 406.301 votos4. Fue una victoria política conjeturas. Declaraciones dadas por estrambóticas sobre el caudillo resucitado, importante, resultado de estrategias funcionarios del alto gobierno reflejaron como una del Presidente y sus ministros acertadas, que lograron capitalizar el que también a ellos se les vedó la haciendo ejercicios al amanecer —él dando, desencanto creciente de los venezolanos información fidedigna. como siempre, las pautas— y toda una con la gestión pública del chavismo y sus parafernalia de actividades y eventos tendencias autoritarias. El éxito no fue Finalmente, el 30 de junio Chávez se dirigió alrededor de su persona, que han solamente de la MUD, pues la diferencia a la nación a través de una grabación hecha conformado un culto a la personalidad señala que el PPT logró recoger un en Cuba. Poco antes había comenzado a pocas veces visto en país democrático descontento en las filas del chavismo, que enviar mensajes por twitter a sus seguidores alguno3. Mientras tanto, el discurso ha marcó la diferencia. Para las fuerzas de la y se transmitieron imágenes de él con Fidel venido variando; Chávez sugirió retirar el oposición, el gran reto ahora es lograr que
14 este caudal electoral se exprese a favor de Pero, sin dudas, el desafío es enorme. El popularidad que el liderazgo joven de las una alternativa presidencial distinta a Presidente cuenta hoy con los poderes fuerzas de oposición (IVAD-Martínez en El Chávez, que rectifique el proyecto político. públicos subordinados a él, con los recursos Universal, 21-7-11). La imagen de su Una tarea nada fácil. públicos prácticamente puestos a su gobierno no es ni de cerca tan popular disposición, con una maquinaria partidista, como el Presidente, por lo que nada Este año, al inaugurarse la AN, una como es hoy el PSUV, que cada vez que garantiza la transferencia de su capital iniciativa interesante de los partidos de convoca a una manifestación en su apoyo político a algún dirigente, cuyo mayor oposición, fue la conformación de los moviliza a millares de personas de todo el mérito sea su lealtad a Chávez. El llamados bloques parlamentarios. país mediante una vasta y costosa logística, hipotético retiro de la candidatura de Siguiendo un criterio de afinidades con el control de un emporio mediático que Chávez abriría, por otra parte, una caja de ideológicas y sin salirse de la MUD, los 67 ha sido puesto al servicio de su partido e pandora. Son muchos los intereses diputados de la oposición (65 de la MUD y ideología. Ese emporio incluye las cadenas, económicos, políticos, internacionales 2 del PPT) se agruparon en varios bloques que Chávez antes de enfermarse usaba a un (como los del gobierno de Cuba), que se parlamentarios con la finalidad de hacer promedio inter-diario, y el programa verían amenazados. El resultado sería avanzar actividades y leyes cónsonas a dominical Aló Presidente. A esto se añade impredecible. intereses más parciales. En esta política de la nueva estructura estatal de los consejos los bloques, el partido PPT se incorporó al comunales y las comunas, a los cuales Mucho se ha especulado sobre los cambios de partidos que vienen de la izquierda: Chávez aprueba recursos de manera de discurso y ciertas nuevas actitudes del Podemos, Causa R y el MAS. Otros personal y directa, además de dar recursos presidente Chávez a raíz de su tratamiento. bloques reúnen a socialcristianos, a través de las misiones sociales, que Dichos cambios deben leerse en clave socialdemócratas e independientes. La aunque deficitarias siguen proporcionando electoral y no como señales de un cambio política de los bloques mejora el trabajo a sectores pobres acceso a servicios de de rumbo del proyecto socialista, o de una legislativo de la oposición, y le permite al salud, vivienda, y educación que en el rectificación del estilo despótico y PPT colaborar con sus afines, sin necesidad pasado les estuvieron vedados. Las fuerzas polarizado del poder que caracteriza al de identificarse con la MUD. Esta política que se oponen al proyecto chavista deben líder y sus seguidores. Chávez y su entorno de bloques ha trascendido el ámbito remontar la cuesta del “Estado Mágico”, han percibido el cansancio de sus discursos legislativo y se está practicando en espacios creador de ilusiones que se disparan, como incendiarios y promesas grandilocuentes en locales, regionales y sindicales, agregándose ahora, con el alza del precio del barril una población que sufre los rigores de una en éstos otras organizaciones y redes que petrolero en el mercado internacional pésima gestión de los servicios públicos y no tienen representación parlamentaria. (Coronil, 2002). El lanzamiento de la Gran está asediada por el hampa, el crimen y la Otra actividad importante de las fuerzas de Misión Vivienda, es otro conejo que sale de violencia social. Ataviarse crecientemente la oposición está centrada en la escogencia la chistera de ese Estado Mágico. Con de civil e invitar a sus seguidores a trajearse de un candidato unitario para las tantas necesidades insatisfechas, esta misión con colores distintos al rojo, parece revelar presidenciales. Son muchas las tensiones y busca despertar entre los pobres una vez que Chávez ha entendido, que pese a todo dificultades de esta estrategia política, dada más las expectativas. su poder y recursos, la intolerancia la heterogeneidad que anida en el seno de comienza a hacer mella también entre sus la oposición. Sin embargo, la dinámica El Presidente ha sido claro en sus seguidores, y que no las tiene todas consigo electoral polarizada impuesta por Chávez y aspiraciones de mantenerse como para reelegirse en 2012. También ha dicho su partido, no deja posibilidad de éxito de candidato electoral para el 2012 por lo que que no hay que amenazar con las una “tercera alternativa”. Las fuerzas de la sólo un impedimento biológico lo expropiaciones. En fin, necesita de esa MUD acordaron privilegiar el mecanismo detendría. Como todo el andamiaje porción de chavistas no ligados a él de de una consulta amplia a los electores — institucional gira en torno de su persona, manera emotiva, que aprecian sus esfuerzos unas primarias— como el fundamental un escenario donde no pueda presentarse por la inclusión e igualdad, pero rechazan para la escogencia del candidato unitario. debilitaría enormemente la opción electoral su vocación autoritaria y el quiebre de las Este proceso ha sido fijado para realizarse chavista en 2012. Una encuesta reciente instituciones democráticas. Ya en las en febrero de 2012. señaló que fuera del Presidente, los demás parlamentarias del año pasado ese dirigentes del chavismo tienen menos “chavismo light” o ese “demócrata
15 lasaforum fall 2011 : volume xlii : issue 4
socialista” se inclinó por la oposición5. Es Notas Referencias una porción relativamente pequeña, pero si 1 La Ley, que prohíbe el financiamiento recordamos que el partido PPT obtuvo sin Coronil, Fernando alianzas poco más de 354.000 votos, internacional, rige para “organizaciones con fines políticos, organizaciones para la defensa 2002 El Estado mágico, Naturaleza, dinero y podemos comprender el juego que de los derechos políticos o personas naturales modernidad en Venezuela. Caracas, CDCH- comienza a desarrollarse ante nuestros ojos que realicen actividades políticas; así como la Nueva Sociedad. (CNE, 2011). Se trata de ver quién captura participación de ciudadanos extranjeros, que ese chavismo desencantado. bajo el patrocinio de estas organizaciones, puedan atentar contra la estabilidad y López Maya, Margarita Por otra parte, el Presidente está enfermo. funcionamiento de las instituciones de la 2010 “Los consejos comunales en Caracas vistos República” (LDSPYAN, 2010). Era impensable hasta que ocurrió. El titán por sus participantes: una exploración”. Ponencia presentada en el I Seminario se ha visto reducido a proporciones 2 Su alocución en el llamado “Balcón del Internacional y III Seminario Nacional: humanas. Puede que las limitaciones físicas Pueblo” esa tarde estuvo llena de invocaciones Movimientos sociales, participación y del Presidente faciliten la apertura de religiosas y terminó con un “Viva Chávez”. democracia (Capes-CNPQ-Universidade condiciones para mejorar la gestión pública Federal de Santa Catarina). Florianópolis 3 en manos de cuadros y funcionarios del El Presidente dando consejos de salud a sus (Brasil), 13 de agosto. ministros mientras junto con ellos hace PSUV y su alianza, al no tener ejercicios en
16 debates
A Future Without Chávez? by Daniel Hellinger | Webster University | [email protected]
The uncertainty about President Chávez’s considered supplanting representative with figure of Chávez has made them more, not health makes predictions about the participatory democracy. less difficult to overcome. proximate future difficult, but it confirms that the transition from the Punto Fijo era Complementing this shift was the creation In this limited space I cannot adequately (1958-1998) to the current Bolivarian of the United Venezuelan Socialist Party place these problems in the context of the period is far from consolidated. The (PSUV) to replace the Fifth Republic considerable accomplishments of the personal crisis of the president highlights Movement (MVR). The PSUV was to be regime, including poverty reduction and the institutional weakness of the Bolivarian an electoral vehicle for grassroots activists, rolling back the tide of neoliberalism in the Revolution, which in turn jeopardizes such as voceros, and to diminish the role of region (Weisbrot 2011). Absent this processes that cannot be reduced to professional politicians, be they oficialista context, we risk validating the media old-style populism. or opposition. In addition, Chávez called narrative and most Washington politicians, for the rapid deployment of programs of who stereotype Chávez as a Third World The political conjuncture in Venezuela “endogenous development,” emphasizing thug. Even in the academic community we today is quite different from the middle the direct “sowing” of oil profits into the tend to reduce political processes in years of the last decade. Chávez’s solid solidaristic economic sector. Private Venezuela to the character of Chávez, victory in the recall election of August 2004 property and the market would remain, but ignoring a reality that is much messier, seemed to portend the consolidation of the state would use oil wealth to promote more complex, and not subject to easy Bolivarian hegemony. The landslide cooperatives and micro-enterprises, to generalization. re-election of Chávez in December 2006, accelerate land reform, and to encourage after a massive campaign to register voters worker co-determination, leading Consider the cooperative movement. A and restore effective citizenship to eventually to self-managed enterprises. The study undertaken by the Venezuelan hundreds of thousands of barrio dwellers, resulting solidaristic sector was to coexist affiliate2 of Prout Universal (an NGO reinforced the sense that the political game with the capitalist private sector, but “dedicated to promoting a practical would have to be played within a eventually it would grow and subordinate socio-economic alternative to global- consensus defined by Bolivarianism, though the market, producing “twenty-first century capitalism”) and the International with room for an opposition. socialism.” Cooperative Alliance3 reaches the conclusion that Venezuela deserves the Chávez read his victories as mandates to Under the best of circumstances such a label “graveyard of cooperatives” because accelerate the revolution and to re-engineer transformation would not fully materialize three quarters of the 268,000 cooperatives the state. A new law encouraged the in five years. The more important question formed and registered between 2001 and formation of communal councils, local is whether Venezuelans sensed that a 2008 were no longer functioning in 2009. bodies that would be funded through the “process” toward such an outcome was However, 23 percent continued to function, executive branch and by Petróleos de underway, and it is hard to escape the meaning that the country saw a jump from Venezuela (PDVSA), the state oil company. conclusion that optimism is fading. The 1,045 active coops in 2001 to 62,879 in The councils would be composed of rentier mentality fostered by the oil 2009.4 That same year, Brazil had around voceros, mandated representatives from dependent economy and the low 20,000, Argentina approximately 10,000. various misiones and social movements, governance capacity of the regime partially The “graveyard” of cooperatives was also and would set priorities for projects to explain this loss of momentum, but in the its cradle. meet needs defined by the community. social media, many chavistas lay much of State and municipal boundaries would be the blame on the “bureaucracy,” the Though he remains the single most popular reconfigured, and the councils would be “Boli-bourgeoisie,” or the political class for politician in the country, it is not drawn together into networks to govern the faltering revolution.1 Many of these unimaginable that Chávez could lose next above the community level. Rather than activists absolve the president from October’s presidential election. The main envision participatory institutions as responsibility for failure to overcome these opposition candidates have attempted to complementary to representative ones, obstacles; but many others recognize that present themselves as centrists. They will Chávez, though not proposing abolition of the concentration of authority around the capitalize on the high crime rate and the National Assembly (AN), now chronic corruption, and if they are smart,
17 lasaforum fall 2011 : volume xlii : issue 4
they will attempt to lure “ni-ni” (neither in advancing new hemispheric institutions, Recently, however, Chávez has returned to nor) voters, the crucial swing bloc, by such as UNASUR, the Banco del Sur, and, a practice that helped sow the demise of the promising to improve rather than dismantle of course, ALBA, the Bolivarian Alliance Punto Fijo era—borrowing against future the most popular social and economic for the Americas. The discounted oil sold earnings from oil exports. In fact, some programs. to Cuba has generated the most headlines new investment contracts and loans have in the North, but the program of sales to been collateralized with future deliveries of Still, the prospects for the opposition other nations has been equally important. crude, an opaque arrangement that may depend in part on its ability to remain PetroCaribe has been a vital energy lifeline seriously undermine the fiscal reforms. united. Here the presence of Chávez helps to many small states in Central America These reforms have ensured state more than hurts their chances. Should and the Caribbean, and the loss of these appropriation of windfall profits in boom Chávez be entirely incapacitated, his discounts would deal a heavy blow to these times, and maximized revenues in times of absence would deprive the fractious and economies. low oil prices. With Chávez still in power, ambitious opposition of its point of unity. the signature accomplishment of his The PSUV might also fracture. The picture Upon news of Chávez’s health crisis, administration, maximizing appropriation gets even muddier should Chávez have to Stabroek News, the leading independent of oil rents, is already in jeopardy. resign or retire but not entirely leave newspaper in Georgetown, Guyana, politics. Even from a sickbed Chávez editorialized that the region should be From the founding of the Bolivarian would command enough authority to concerned that a successor might terminate movement within the military in the 1980s designate the PSUV candidate, but could PetroCaribe. The oil program has “proven to the present, Hugo Chávez has assigned the opposition remain united under such to be critical to the immediate solvency to himself a mission of national circumstances? problems of many countries in the context transformation, one that would earn for of the rise in oil prices,” and Venezuelan aid himself historical immortality—“glory” in We might also ponder what chavismo was needed for “critical infrastructure the Machiavellian sense (Zuquete 2008). would be like should it lose the presidential projects.”5 An opposition government Early signs indicate that his cancer has election. A healthy Chávez would be leader might have to think twice about cutting the intensified rather than tempered his sense of a formidable opposition determined to oil lifeline to the Caricom region, where of urgency to complete this mission. defend highly popular social programs. Venezuela has historically sought to extend For two years at least, he would command its influence. David Smilde, introducing a co-edited a majority in the National Assembly, and volume (2011), recently advised that we he would retain ability to convoke popular One of the main achievements of the devote more attention in Venezuela to mobilizations to defend land reform, the Bolivarian Revolution has been recovery of “ground-level research on the relational Barrio Adentro health program, the national sovereignty over the subsoil. The contexts in which politics occurs in communal councils, subsidized food oil reform of 2001 insured majority state everyday social life…The most tangible markets, and other signature programs. ownership in joint ventures (adhering to effects of the revolution might not be the Defeat in the presidential election could the spirit, if not the letter, of the 1976 concrete institutions and actors the force the PSUV to undertake a much deeper nationalization law) and a substantial government creates, but the development of self-examination and reckoning than increase in royalty payments (compensation new discourses, identities, networks, and chavistas undertook after the defeat of the for extraction of a non-renewable nature forms of association” (2011: 2). Julia constitutional reform package of 2007 or resource). These measures followed Buxton writes in the forward to the same the gains of the opposition in state and Chávez’s diplomatic success in volume, “A consuming focus on the figure local elections of 2009 and the National strengthening OPEC and his victory over of President Chávez in the academic and Assembly election of 2010. the three-month production stoppage policy literature further obscured the orchestrated by PDVSA executives dynamics of change at the grassroots level, Chávez’s health crisis also raises important beginning in December 2003 (Mommer while marginalizing the complexity of the questions about the future of his 2011). process of social change” (2011: xi).6 international policies. We tend to overlook the leadership role that Chávez has played
18 Over the years I have had many Endnotes References conversations with chavistas— 1 To get a sense of chavista thought beyond ambassadors, community organizers, Buxton, J. musicians, taxi drivers, professors, cabinet Chávez, consult
19 lasaforum fall 2011 : volume xlii : issue 4 calling all members Elections 2011
Nominating Committee Slate The Candidates la Flor, 1989), Negros e brancos em São Paulo, 1888-1988 (EDUSC, 1998), The LASA Nominating Committee presents George Reid Andrews is Distinguished Afro-Latinoamérica, 1800-2000 the following slate of candidates for vice Professor of History, UCIS Research (Iberoamericana-Vervuert, 2007), América president and members of the Executive Professor, and Chair of the Department of Afro-Latina, 1800-2000 (EDUFSCar, Council (EC). The winning candidate for History at the University of Pittsburgh. He 2007), Negros en la nación blanca: Historia vice president will serve in that capacity received his university degrees from de los afro-uruguayos, 1830-2010 (Linardi from June 1, 2012 to May 31, 2013 and as Dartmouth College (BA, 1972) and the y Risso, 2011). He is also the author of president from June 1, 2013 to May 31, University of Wisconsin-Madison (MA numerous articles in professional journals 2014. The three winning candidates for EC 1974, PhD 1978). He began his academic published in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, membership will serve a two-year term career at the Social Science Research Israel, the United Kingdom and the United from June 1, 2012 to May 31, 2014. Council, where he was Staff Associate for States. Within LASA, Andrews has served Latin America and the Caribbean (1978- on the Program Committee (1986), the Nominees for Vice President 81). He then moved to the University of Nominating Committee (2001), and the Pittsburgh, where he has taught Latin Mellon-LASA Selection Committee Reid Andrews American history since 1981. While (2009-11). He was General Editor of the University of Pittsburgh carrying out research in Latin America, University of Pittsburgh Press Latin Merilee Grindle Andrews has been affiliated as a visiting America Series (2002-07) and currently Harvard University researcher with the Instituto de Desarrollo serves, with his colleagues Alejandro de la Económico y Social (IDES, Buenos Aires), Fuente and Lara Putnam, as Senior Editor the Centro de Estudos de Cultura of Hispanic American Historical Review. Nominees for Executive Council Contemporânea (CEDEC, São Paulo), and the Centro de Estudios Interdisciplinarios Andrews Statement Daniel Balderston Latinoamericanos (CEIL, Montevideo). There has never been a better time to be a University of Pittsburgh His research was supported by fellowships student of Latin America. Continued Ruth Collier awarded by the John Simon Guggenheim advances in scholarship have sharpened and University of California, Berkeley Foundation, the National Endowment for deepened our discussions of such widely the Humanities, the Rockefeller varied topics as race, gender, socioeconomic Robin Derby Foundation, the Social Science Research inequality, models of economic University of California, Los Angeles Council and the U.S. Department of development, state- and institution- Education. In his research and writing, building, cultural studies, and Graciela Montaldo Andrews has concentrated on the study of environmental change. Rapidly advancing Columbia University race in Latin America, and in particular on communication technologies have María Clemencia Ramírez the history of African-descent peoples in the transformed and intensified trans-regional Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e region. His books include The Afro- scholarly collaboration; electronic Historia Argentines of Buenos Aires, 1800-1900 databases, searchable newspaper archives, (University of Wisconsin Press, 1980), and the digitalization of archival materials Catalina Romero Blacks and Whites in São Paulo, Brazil, are starting to have similar impacts on Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú 1888-1988 (University of Wisconsin Press, research. Perhaps most important of all, 1991), Afro-Latin America, 1800-1900 the democratic openings of the 1980s and (Oxford University Press, 2004), and 1990s have gone on to produce, in recent Blackness in the White Nation: A History years, an extraordinary wealth of new of Afro-Uruguay (University of North political, social, and economic experiments. Carolina Press, 2010). All those books None of these experiments is perfect, but all have been published in Spanish and/or of them represent serious, purposeful Portuguese translation: Los afroargentinos efforts to break centuries-old patterns of de Buenos Aires, 1800-1900 (Ediciones de social hierarchy and injustice and to live up
20 to equally longstanding promises, dating been and will continue to be a central management, the policy process, and the back to the independence period, of social, concern. But our members also come from politics of reform, with a particular focus political and economic equality. The a diversity of disciplines, whose academic on countries in Latin America. Grindle has nations of the region have broken conventions create divergent expectations been at Harvard since 1983. In addition to emphatically with the neo-liberal and needs. Meanwhile, we range from her teaching and research activities, she has orthodoxies of the 1980s and 90s to craft beginning graduate students to emeritus held a number of administrative positions new policy initiatives: the Oportunidades professors, and from those who have and served on many committees at Harvard and Bolsa Família programs in Mexico and chosen to concentrate their energies within and in the academic world. She served for Brazil, multicultural constitutions in academia to others who have chosen paths ten years as the faculty chair of the MPA Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador, Plan of activism, policy-making, the arts and programs and on the faculty steering Ceibal in Uruguay, Bolivarian socialism in journalism. What structures should LASA committee at the Kennedy School. She Venezuela, and many others. This flood of strengthen, or where might we innovate, to serves on several University-wide creativity gives the title of Oscar make our organization a productive home committees on international engagement Guardiola-Rivera’s recent book, What If base for all? If elected to the vice- and has played an active role in the Latin America Ruled the World? How the presidency, I will consult closely with the promotion of international student South Will Take the North into the 22nd current and in-coming presidents, Maria activities at Harvard. She has been a Century, far more plausibility than it might Hermínia Tavares and Evelyne Huber, with member of the editorial boards of a number have had ten or twenty years ago. LASA’s the Executive Council, and with the LASA of journals and has been actively engaged members have shared in and contributed to staff, on the organization’s most pressing in promoting graduate education in public all of these recent developments. An current needs and how best to address policy in Mexico and Bolivia. She was association founded in 1966 by U.S. them. I will also be pleased to hear and LASA Congress Program Chair in 1986 academics, over the last forty-five years learn from LASA members at any time. and served on the LASA Executive Council LASA has been thoroughly Thank you for your attention and for the and was Treasurer from 2004-2006. She internationalized. Almost half its members, honor of this nomination, and don’t forget teaches courses on the political economy of including its current president, live and to vote! development policy making and work outside the United States; and its last implementation and in 1991 received the four International Congresses have all been Manuel C. Carballo Award for Excellence held outside the U.S.. Such a transformation Merilee Grindle is Edward S. Mason in Teaching at the Kennedy School and in could easily have been traumatic for the Professor of International Development at 2007 was recognized by Harvard organization; but my sense is that LASA’s the Harvard Kennedy School of University as an outstanding teacher. She institutional experience has been almost Government and Director of the David has received research grants from the Social exactly the opposite. The Association’s Rockefeller Center for Latin American Science Research Council and the Tinker, internationalization has occurred in an Studies at Harvard University. A political Ford, and Rockefeller Foundations, among atmosphere of great good will and scientist with a B.A. from Wellesley College, others. Grindle is the author of Jobs for the collegiality; LASA members from around an M.A. from Brown University, and a Boys: The Politics of Public Sector Reform the globe recognize the enormous benefits Ph.D. from MIT, she has focused much of (Harvard 2012); Going Local: to be derived from free, open, and her work on the politics of policy reform. Decentralization, Democratization, and the egalitarian intellectual exchange and the She has recently completed a book on Promise of Good Governance (Princeton incorporation of new experiences, issues of public sector reform in historical 2007); Despite the Odds: The Contentious perspectives and ideas. LASA’s growth and contexts and the development of Politics of Education Reform (Princeton diversity are its great strengths, but they professional public services in Latin 2004); Audacious Reforms: Institutional also come with an imperative to make sure America. Currently, she is engaged in Invention and Democracy in Latin America that the voices and needs of different research on scholarly engagements between (Johns Hopkins 2000); Challenging the constituencies are heard. Regional diversity the U.S. and Latin America in the 19th and State: Crisis and Innovation in Latin is one vital component of this, and early 20th centuries. More broadly, she is a America and Africa (Cambridge 1996); removing barriers to full participation by specialist on the comparative analysis of Searching for Rural Development: Labor members based across the hemisphere has policymaking, implementation, and public Migration and Employment in Mexico
21 lasaforum fall 2011 : volume xlii : issue 4
(Cornell 1988); State and Countryside: increase the space for Latin American rights and immigration reform, and its clear Development Policy and Agrarian Politics studies across the world. A LASA Congress interest in the rights of those who are in Latin America (Johns Hopkins 1986) served as my first professional activity as a ignored or oppressed or who live daily with and Bureaucrats, Politicians, and Peasants newly-minted Ph.D., and now, many years violence and intolerance speaks loudly to its in Mexico: A Study in Public Policy later, I see that experience reflected in the relevance in the real world. I am proud of (California 1976). She is co-author, with presence of so many younger scholars who this history of social and political activism John Thomas, of Public Choices and Policy search each other out and reconnect with and I believe it makes a difference in the Change: The Political Economy of Reform their mentors to pick up on discussions world. I am also drawn to LASA because in Developing Countries (Johns Hopkins interrupted by time and space. It is of its professionalism. Its leadership has 1991), which won an award as the best impossible to know how many projects and consistently set a standard for book in public policy in 1991. She is also how many careers were inspired and accountability and service and its the editor of Politics and Policy encouraged through LASA, but the number administration is admirably efficient, Implementation in the Third World has to be very significant, stimulated at effective, and responsive. I have had (Princeton 1980); Getting Good least in part by the transmission of passion opportunities to see how it works and how Government: Capacity Building in the about Latin America across generations of it responds to challenges and I want to see Public Sectors of Developing Countries scholars. Second, as a social scientist, I am it continue to set a standard for excellent (Harvard/HIID 1997); and co-editor of impressed that LASA has remained so performance. The values I find in LASA— Proclaiming Revolution: Bolivia in interdisciplinary. Especially in the United multigenerational connections, Comparative Politics (Harvard/DRCLAS States, disciplines seem to have become interdisciplinary dialogue, inclusive 2003). In addition, she has written progressively more narrow even as issues scholarship and membership, active numerous articles about policy for scholarship have become more complex engagement in the world, and a management, implementation, capacity and multifaceted. But in LASA, we share a professional mission—are the values I want building, and institutional reform in commitment to Latin America—past, to sustain and continue to build if given a developing countries as well as other present, and future—as well as to our chance to help lead the organization. It is articles about political economy theory and disciplines. How better to be engaged in critical to engage younger scholars in the practice, social policy, and rural poverty. discussions about politics and public organization, to ensure that our Congresses Most recently, articles related to “good policies, my particular interests, but also to always represent the best of a multiplicity enough governance” have focused on the incorporate understanding of the region’s of disciplines and collaboration across difficult agenda of public sector and state literature, its cultures, its environmental them, to reach out to scholars of diverse reform in developing countries. challenges, its cities, and its art and science? background and facilitate their Third, I have seen LASA grow in participation in LASA activities, to remain Grindle Statement inclusiveness and in an exceptional effort to a pillar of conscience for U.S.-Latin I have been an avid participant in LASA engage scholars and scholarship from Latin American relationships, and to continue to Congresses for a very long time and have America. The clear dedication of LASA’s operate with truly professional norms and had the pleasure of working closely with leadership and membership to facilitate standards. I believe that LASA is a strong the leadership and administration of the travel and interaction is inspiring. In a and important organization and I am organization on several occasions. Despite world increasingly connected by virtual committed to contributing what I can to its the multiple and insistent demands that set relationships, the face-to-face nature of scholarly and professional future in ways constraints on all of us, I work to find time interactions at LASA Congresses are that enhance its relevance and its capacity for LASA. I do so because of the values especially important in sparking new to reach, engage, and build its membership. that LASA represents for Latin American professional relationships and deepening studies and academic research more ongoing collaborations. Fourth, I find time generally. First, I am increasingly aware for LASA because it is active in the world. Daniel Balderston, Mellon Professor of that LASA is truly a multigenerational The organization’s long-time commitment Modern Languages, University of space for scholars and students to compare to enhanced scholarly relations with Cuba Pittsburgh, and director of the Borges notes, develop professional relationships, and to improved U.S. policy toward that Center. B.A. in English, University of generate research ideas and findings, and country, its outspoken concern for human California-Berkeley, M.A., Ph.D. in
22 Comparative Literature, Princeton. Taught Symposium, Nuevo Texto Crítico, Chasqui, Caio Fernando Abreu and others. President at Tulane and Iowa before coming to Cuadernos Hispanoamericanos, Variaciones of the Instituto Internacional de Literatura Pittsburgh, and was a visiting professor at Borges, Revista de Crítica Literaria Iberoamericana, 2004-2008. Member, the Universidade de São Paulo, Universidad Latinoamericana, Tramas para la literatura Division of Twentieth Century Latin Javeriana, Bergen, Havana, Georgetown, argentina, Estudios, Social Text, Ibero- American Literature, MLA, 1994-1998. Berkeley, Campinas, Antioquia, Buenos Americana Pragensia, Cuadernos Texts and Translations Board, MLA, Aires, La Pampa, Universidad de la Americanos, Casa de las Américas, Río de 2004-2009. Chair, Task Force on Gay and República (Montevideo). Books: El la Plata, Fragmentos, América, Anclajes, Lesbian Issues, LASA, 1994-1997. Editor, precursor velado: R. L. Stevenson en la Hofstra Hispanic Review, A Variaciones Borges, 2005-present. Serves on obra de Borges (1985), The Literary contracorriente, Lejana, Taller de Letras editorial board of Les Cahiers d’Ilcea, Universe of Jorge Luis Borges (1986), The and others. Book chapters in Utopías del Itinerarios, Arquitrave, Anclajes, past Latin American Short Story: An Annotated Nuevo Mundo, Borges the Poet, Ficción y service on boards of PMLA, Revista Guide (1992), Out of Context: Historical política: la narrativa argentina durante el Iberoamericana and Hispania. Reference and the Representation of Proceso militar, Literatura e história na Reality in Borges (1993, Spanish edition América Latina, Cambridge History of Balderston Statement 1996), El deseo: enorme cicatriz luminosa Latin American Literature, Histórias da I have been a LASA member since 1983 (1999, second expanded edition 2004), Literatura: Teorias, Temas e Autores, and have attended nearly all of the Borges, realidades y simulacros (2000), ¿Entiendes? Queer Readings/Hispanic Congresses since then. The Association has Innumerables relaciones: cómo leer con Writings, En torno a la obra de Virgilio been vital to my professional development, Borges (2010). Co-authored book (with Piñera, Cet obscure objet de désir: and to the development of new fields within José Quiroga): Sexualidades en disputa Représentations homosexuelles, Borges and Latin American studies including sexuality (2005). Edited books: The Historical Novel Europe Revisited, El siglo de Borges, studies. I was privileged to lead the Task in Latin America (1986), Sex and Sexuality Literatura política y sociedad: Force on Gay and Lesbian Issues (now the in Latin America (with Donna Guy, 1997, construcciones de sentido en la Sexuality Studies Section) from 1994 to Spanish edition 1998), Sexualidad y nación Hispanoamérica contemporánea, Robert 1997, and have been involved in this group (2000), Encyclopedia of Latin American Louis Stevenson: Writer of Boundaries, since its inception. More generally, I have and Caribbean Cultures (with Mike Escrito por los otros: Ensayos sobre Luis found LASA an important place for Gonzalez and Ana López, 2000), Voice Gusmán, Virgilio Piñera: La memoria del collaborative work across the disciplines; Overs: Translation and Latin American cuerpo, Hispanisms and Homosexualities, two of my co-edited books, Sex and Literature (with Marcy Schwartz, 2002), Changing Men and Masculinities in Latin Sexuality in Latin America and Voice Encyclopedia of Latin American and America, Ricardo Piglia: una poética sin Overs: Translation and Latin American Caribbean Literature, 1900-2003 (with límites, Literary Cultures of Latin America: Literature, were conceived and planned Mike Gonzalez, 2004), The Noé Jitrik A Comparative History, Otros cuerpos, during LASA meetings. I envision the Reader (2005), Las lecciones del maestro: otras sexualidades, Entre ficción y reflexión: Association as a place for continuing Homenaje a José Bianco (2006), Juan José Saer y Ricardo Piglia, Zona de intellectual innovation, for collaboration Approaches to Teaching Puig’s The Kiss of prólogos, In memoriam JLB, Jorge Luis between activists and academics, and for the Spider Woman (with Francine Masiello, Borges: Políticas de la literature, Cambridge the fostering of close working relationships 2007), Novelas cortas by Juan Carlos Companion to the Latin American Novel, among scholars based in different parts of Onetti (critical edition, 2010), Cartografías Elena Garro: un recuerdo sólido and the Americas and elsewhere in the world. queer: activisismo LGBT y sexualidades en others. Encyclopedia articles in the One area that I think could be a new América Latina (with Arturo Matute Encyclopedia of the Novel, Modern initiative would be to use part of the LASA Castro, 2011). Articles in Revista Spanish American Poets, Latin American webpage to provide links to online research Iberoamericana, MLN, Discurso Literario, Writers, Encyclopedia of Latin American and publications, such as CLAM, the digital Hispamérica, Texto Crítico, Revista Literature, Latin American Writing on Gay journals housed at the University of Canadiense de Estudios Hispánicos, and Lesbian Themes. Translator of fiction Pittsburgh library, IILI and the many Modern Language Review, Hispania, La by José Bianco, Sylvia Molloy, Juan Carlos digital journals and research websites in Torre, Bulletin of Hispanic Studies, Onetti, Ricardo Piglia, Silvina Ocampo, Latin America.
23 lasaforum fall 2011 : volume xlii : issue 4
Ruth Berins Collier is Heller Professor of also conducted research in Cuba. Her resort to non-institutional alternative spaces the Graduate School, Department of publications include: The Dictator¹s at the same time that they attended the Political Science, University of California, Seduction: Politics and the Popular university. My alternative space was a Berkeley. Her research has focused on the Imagination in the Era of Trujillo (Duke study group that operated in Buenos Aires interplay of regime change and forms of University Press, 2009) which seeks to in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. popular participation. Her books include: explain race, masculinity and the culture of These circumstances lent my work a certain Shaping the Political Arena: Critical consent under the Trujillo dictatorship. It eclecticism, as well as an early Junctures, The Labor Movement, and won the Gordon K. and Sybil Lewis award, interdisciplinary formation, a clear Regime Dynamics (co-authored): The the Bolton-Johnson Prize, and received understanding of the risks inherent in Contradictory Alliance: State-Labor honorable mention for the Bryce Wood critical knowledge, and a strong political Relations and Regime Change in Mexico: Book Award from LASA. She also engagement with my objects of study. I Paths Toward Democracy: the Working co-edited Activating the Past: History and draw on this experience in my books, in the Class and Elites in Western Europe and Memory in the Black Atlantic World, sense that I understand knowledge to be a South America; and Reorganizing Popular Cambridge Scholars Press, 2010. She is form of critical participation. From my Politics: Participation and the New Interest currently writing a book on demonic first book,De pronto, el campo (1990), to Regime in Latin America (co-edited). animal narratives in Haiti and the my later study Ficciones culturales y fábulas Dominican Republic and co-editing a de identidad en América Latina (1993), and Collier Statement reader on the Dominican Republic for even to my most recent work, Zonas ciegas. While I support broad interdisciplinary Duke University Press. Populismos y experimentos culturales en approaches that bridge the social sciences Argentina (2010), I am interested in and humanities, my goal within LASA Derby Statement analyzing the ways that culture intersects would be to advance social science research I have been a member of LASA for two with politics. I seek also to reflect on the on Latin America. One of the great decades, and my research has focused on ways that lettered knowledge in Latin traditions within research on Latin America frontiers and peripheries over the long America is articulated from an early date has been an approach that crosses the social durée. I think I would bring a sensitivity through the practices of native cultures and, sciences: sociology, political science, history, towards the non-core regions of Latin in modern times, through products of the anthropology, and economics. Though America to LASA, since with the exception culture industry. I began my academic disciplinary perspectives often seem to be of Cuba, the Caribbean has been an outlier career in 1984 in the Department of increasing in importance, I would try to to Latin American studies. I would also Philosophy and Letters of the University of ensure that LASA continue what has been a like to enhance the presence within LASA Buenos Aires. In 1990, I began teaching at very fruitful cross-disciplinary perspective, of some approaches which have not been Simón Bolívar University in Caracas, which has historically made Latin American central to the field of Latin American Venezuela, where I served as Director of the studies an innovative, theory-exporting field studies in the past, such as oral and Graduate Program and also as Humanities of study. I am particularly interested in environmental history, as well as Coordinator in the Dean’s Office of making a variety of data more readily interdisciplinary dialogues. Teaching at a Research. I was a professor at Rutgers available to scholars: researchers’ own field large public university has made me University briefly and, in 2005, joined the data and archival data as well as concerned with relevance and outreach, Columbia University faculty to participate government data, GIS data, survey data, which inspired me to develop an oral in the renovation of the Spanish and satellite data, and so forth. history training course in Haiti on life Portuguese Department, now known as the narratives of the 2010 earthquake funded Department of Latin American and Iberian by a LASA-Ford special project grant. Cultures. At Columbia, I served as Director Lauren (Robin) Derby is associate professor of Graduate Studies for four years and have of Latin American history at the University been Department Chair since 2010. Since of California, Los Angeles. Her work Graciela Montaldo. I enrolled at the my arrival in 2005, I have played an active engages issues of memory, violence, University of Buenos Aires in 1978, during role in restructuring the Department and dictatorship and rumor in the Dominican the Argentine military dictatorship. redesigning all of its programs. Since 2007, Republic, Haiti and Puerto Rico; she has Everyone who studied in those years had to I have been a member of the Latin
24 American Literature from Independence to only unites its members but also permits of the Colombian armed conflict and the 1900 Division of the Modern Language our discipline to develop effectively and war on drugs. She is author of Entre el Association (MLA). I have also been, and along a new course. estado y la guerrilla: identidad y ciudadanía will be again this year, a member of the en el movimiento de los campesinos Executive Committee of the Institute for cocaleros del Putumayo (2001); an Latin American Studies (ILAS) at María Clemencia Ramírez joined the uppdated and revised English-language Columbia. Colombian Institute of Anthropology and edition has been published by Duke History-ICANH as a researcher in 1977 University Press and released in July 2011 Montaldo Statement and was appointed Director in 2005, a under the title Between the Guerrillas and A member of LASA for some twenty years, position she held until July 2007, when she the State: the cocalero movement, I have participated consistently and in became an Associate Researcher. She citizenship and identity in the Colombian varied ways throughout that time. As I attended the Universidad de los Andes, Amazon. She also is author of Frontera have lived and built my academic career in where she earned a B.A. in Anthropology; Fluida entre Andes, piedemonte y selva: el Latin America (Argentina and Venezuela) the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, caso del Valle de Sibundoy, siglos XVI- and in the United States, I have, like many where she earned an M.A. in History, and XVIII; and co-author of the Atlas cultural of my colleagues, a perspective on the Harvard University, where she earned a de la Amazonia Colombiana: la intellectual and institutional changes of the Ph.D. in Social Anthropology. She received construcción del territorio en el siglo XX. last two decades. I believe LASA’s efforts in a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Dr. Ramírez has published several book recent years to foster a global community Foundation Fellowship for the year chapters and journal articles on her of “Latin Americanists” have had positive 2009-2010 and was the 2004-2005 Santo research interests which range from the impacts. The most important of these has Domingo Visiting Scholar at the David politics of global security and the war on been the integration of different academic Rockefeller Center for Latin American drugs in Colombia to the impact of Plan communities and intellectual traditions, an Studies at Harvard. She has been a Colombia on the small-scale coca growers integration that is evident at conferences Professor of Anthropology at the of Putumayo. Dr. Ramírez has held three and in the journal but also in the growing Universidad Nacional de Colombia and the research grants from the Colombian institutional interest in LASA outside of the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, where Institute for the Advancement of space of its founding. One of the she is a member of a research group that Development, Science and Technology- challenges that this growth and professional focuses on the ethnography of the state, Colciencias (1998, 2003, and 2007), a development pose to our field, however, is citizenship, and armed conflict in Peace Scholar Award from the United States how to maintain the diversity of our Colombia. Dr. Ramírez’s work explores the Institute of Peace, a Wenner-Gren communities and traditions in open intersections of violence and identity Foundation Grant for dissertation research dialogue and permanent debate. LASA as through the lens of public policy, politics (1997-1998) and a Fulbright Scholarship an institution can foment the expansion of and state/citizen relations, focusing on the for graduate studies as a Colombian Latin American Studies within Global Amazon Region of Colombia and student in the United States (1994-1997). Studies but must at the same time specifically on the department of Putumayo, In 1994 her M.A. thesis in ethno-history emphasize and conserve the diversity that where the presence of illegal crops and was awarded Honorable Mention characterizes the field and the variety of armed conflict led to the implementation of (Mención Meritoria) and Special intellectual traditions that comprise it. I Plan Colombia beginning in 2000. Dr. Distinction by the Universidad Nacional. personally feel the weight of this challenge, Ramírez is currently coordinating a She was also given a Special Distinction by in my teaching and research as well as in research team of the Historical Memory the Chapter of Anthropology of the academic administration. Every institution Group of the National Commission of Ex-alumni Association of the Universidad tends to colonize the knowledge that it Reparation and Reconciliation of de Los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia in administers. When institutions conserve Colombia, conducting research in September 2003 and a distinction as their diversity and move forward in accord Putumayo within the framework of a major Honorary Researcher by the Colombian with their own rhythms, they can generate project focused on gathering memories and Institute of Anthropology and History in disciplinary change. My personal notion of experiences of women in order to recognize 2007. Dr. Ramírez has served as member LASA’s role is to serve as a space that not and make visible their agency in the midst of the editorial board of the journal Revista
25 lasaforum fall 2011 : volume xlii : issue 4
Antípoda of the Department of University, and a Ph.D. in Sociology at The Hagopian’s Religious Pluralism, Democracy Anthropology at Universidad de los Andes New School for Social Research, N.Y., in and the Catholic Church in Latin America and as editor, editorial board member, and 1989. Her main fields of research are in (2009); “Religión y espacio público: currently as a member of the scientific religion and politics, value change, Catolicismo y sociedad civil en el Perú” in committee of the journal Revista democracy and civil society. A professor at her own Religión y Espacio Público (2008); Colombiana de Antropología of the the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru “Movimientos ciudadanos urbanos y Colombian Institute of Anthropology. In (PUCP), she has been Chair of the Social desempoderamiento en Perú y Venezuela” 2009 and 2010 she served as co-chair of Sciences Department, and Dean of the (w/ Daniel Levine) in Mainwaring et al.’s LASA’s Colombia Section. School of Social Sciences. She created the La crisis de la representación democrática Masters Program in Political Science, and en los países andinos (2008); and “La Ramírez Statement later, the Political Science and Government Democracia en el Perú: una terca voluntad” My interest as a candidate for the Executive Undergraduate Program. She has been in América Latina Hoy, Vol. 45 (2007). Council of the Latin American Studies Director of the Institute Bartolomé De Las Association stems from being a Latin Casas in Lima, Fellow of the Kellogg Romero Statement American anthropologist who has had the Institute for International Studies (1982, The mission of LASA is to foster opportunity to study in the United States 2001), Public Fellow at the Woodrow intellectual discussion, research and and work in both the United States and Wilson International Center for Scholars teaching on Latin America and the Colombia on an ongoing basis. As a result (2010), and Latin American Fellow of the Caribbean and to encourage civic of this experience I am interested in further Guggenheim Foundation (2011-2012). engagement. These two mandates could be promoting alliances between Latin Member of the Executive Council of the joined in one, if our intellectual discussion, American, United States, and Canadian World Values Survey Organization, and research and teaching contribute to build a scholars. LASA’s promotion of Principal Investigator in Peru, she has been contemporary empowered vision of Latin transregional research initiatives such as also a PI of the Comparative Study of America, promoting more interdisciplinary those funded six times by the Ford Electoral Systems, CSES, and as a member discussions, cross-track encounters, and Foundation is a concrete example of this of WAPOR she participated in the inter-country’s Section meetings, to foster kind of alliance. The increasing proportion Academic Committee to organize the new ways of looking at Latin American of LASA members residing outside of the Lima-WAPOR Congress in 2008. A countries and the region after two centuries United States reached 45 percent of the member of a Latin American project to of independent life, and at its more recent organization’s membership in 2010, and it study the Quality of Democracy, she is also research and teaching. I ask for your is important to promote these initiatives member of a Working Group at CLACSO support as a member of the Executive among Latin American scholars in order to on religion, politics and society. Among her Council when we are going through a time elicit more research and Congress proposals more recent publications are: “Entre la of crisis, because as the Latin American from the South. My experience as co-chair Tormenta y la Brisa. Desafíos al Studies Association, formed by North of LASA’s Colombia Section taught me that Catolicismo en América Latina” in Romero American, South American, Caribbean and in order to achieve this goal, it is necessary and Peirano’s Entre la Tormenta y la Brisa. international scholars we all live at least in to educate Latin American scholars and Homenaje a Gustavo Gutiérrez (2010); two worlds, and Latin America scholars develop more outreach activities so that “Cambio social, religión y secularización: could still represent its subject of study as a they will be more active in the organization una mirada desde la Encuesta Mundial de space and a history of opportunities. I and maintain longer-term affiliations. Valores” in Orlando Plaza’s Cambios offer my interdisciplinary background, my Moreover, I hope to represent Latin Sociales en el Perú 1968-2008. En interest in different methodological American scholars on the Executive Homenaje a Denis Sulmont (2009); “La approaches to enrich research questions, to Council, expressing their perspectives in importancia de los valores para el look at old problems with new perspectives, order to deepen their participation. desarrollo humano” in Ruiz Bravo et al.’s and willingness to find opportunities for Desarrollo Humano y Libertades. Una innovation through LASA’s spaces for aproximación interdisciplinaria (2009); encounter and conversation. n Catalina Romero, a Peruvian sociologist, “Religion and Public Spaces: Catholicism got a M.S. in Sociology at Iowa State and Civil Society in Peru” in Frances
26 new from UNC Press
BLURRED BORDERS CLIMATE AND CATASTROPHE IN CUBA Transnational Migration between the Hispanic Caribbean and AND THE ATLANTIC WORLD IN THE AGE the United States OF REVOLUTION jorge duany sherry johnson “Duany’s book is a compelling, historically grounded examination of “A novel, sophisticated, and powerfully persuasive argument that Cuban, Dominican, and Puerto Rican transnational behaviors and a thought- many of the significant political changes in the Atlantic world during provoking comparative study. Duany is one of the most astute commentators the Age of Revolution cannot be fully understood without reference of the Latino experience.” to the environmental history. This highly original book is elegantly —María Cristina García, Cornell University written and full of excellent and prodigious research.” 304 pages $65.00 cloth / $29.95 paper —Franklin W. Knight, The Johns Hopkins University BLACK POLITICAL ACTIVISM AND 328 pages $39.95 cloth THE CUBAN REPUBLIC new in paperback — melina pappademos “Pappademos provides much-needed details and analysis about internal CUBA IN THE AMERICAN IMAGINATION debates, political tensions, and personalities within Afro-Cuban Metaphor and the Imperial Ethos organizations. This book will be valuable not only to Cuban specialists, louis a. pérez Jr. but to those who study racial politics generally, Caribbean and Latin 352 pages $27.50 paper American studies, subaltern studies, and postcolonial studies.” —Robert Whitney, University of New Brunswick 336 pages $39.95 cloth forthcoming in spring 2012 — HOME GROWN DOMINGOS ÁLVARES, AFRICAN HEALING, AND THE Marijuana and the Origins of Mexico’s War on Drugs INTELLECTUAL HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC WORLD isaac campos james h. sweet Available March 2012 $39.95 cloth “This exceptionally creative, engaging, and provocative book is a tour de force of historical imagination and sensitivity and a hallmark of Atlantic history.” SEXUAL REVOLUTIONS IN CUBA —Joseph C. Miller, University of Virginia Passion, Politics, and Memory 320 pages $37.50 cloth carrie hamilton ALLENDE’S CHILE AND THE INTER-AMERICAN Foreword by Elizabeth Dore COLD WAR Available February 2012 $39.95 cloth tanya harmer THE CORNER OF THE LIVING “Based on multi-archival research this pathbreaking study increases Ayacucho on the Eve of the Shining Path Insurgency our understanding of the Cold War in Latin America.” miguel la serna —Piero Gleijeses, The Johns Hopkins University Available February 2012 $65.00 cloth / $29.95 paper 392 pages $45.00 cloth MEMORIES OF CONQUEST BLOWOUT! Becoming Mexicano in Colonial Guatemala Sal Castro and the Chicano Struggle for Educational Justice laura e. matthew mario t. garcía and sal castro Available March 2012 $45.00 cloth “García’s oeuvre has mapped Mexican American history and allowed us to imagine a different kind of past--one filled with efforts to rectify social injustices. This book is no exception; it sheds much needed light on Sal Sign up for monthly new book announcements, Castro’s struggles to expand educational and civil rights and in so doing special offers and more at www.uncpress.unc.edu. prods us to follow in his footsteps and build a more emancipatory future.” —Ernesto Chávez, University of Texas at El Paso Most UNC Press books are also 384 pages $34.95 cloth available as E-Books. the university of north carolina press at bookstores or 800-848-6224 | www.uncpress.unc.edu | uncpressblog.com “A courageous, formidable balance sheet of the Cuban Revolution.” | $ 2 4
r —Mike Davis, author, Planet of the Slums 1 9 5 : e
b f “Farber’s comprehensive and well-written assessment of Cuba’s experience r o
a since 1959 is rooted in history, informed by the comparative sociology of com- F n
l munist regimes, and rich in insightful and feisty analysis.” i o e —Jorge I. Domínguez, professor of Mexican and u l u t
m Latin American Politics and Economics, Harvard University v o a
S “[O]pposed as much to neoliberal thought as to the perversions of Stalnist and R e |
postmodern communist statism, Farber sets out to critically explore the course n t
h e followed by the Cuban Revolution of 1959. A necessary and suggestive read.” t
m e —Adolfo Gilly, author,The Mexican Revolution s e
s “This important, very well-written, and quite interesting book, evaluates the s
A fifty-two years of the Cuban Revolution with surprising insights. Expect a S i n c e l strong reaction both from the right and the left. Don’t miss it!” a i c a —Carmelo Mesa-Lago, Distinguished Service Professor i t b r u
C Emeritus, University of Pittsburgh
C A “Samuel Farber’s work on Cuba has long championed revolutionary democratic so- cialism from below. His latest book provides an indispensable guide to the politics of the tiny island state. Farber offers an unparalleled cartography of the ideological de- bates and political outcomes of Cuba’s development under the rule of the Castro brothers.” —Jeffery R. Webber, Queen Mary, University of Haymarketbooks.org London, author, From Rebellion to Reform in Bolivia Books for changing the world
Native American Studies Department University of California, Davis Hemispheric Indigenous People’s Socio-Cultural Politics Open-Rank Professor
The Department of Native American Studies at the University of California, Davis (UCD) invites applications for an open-‐rank position in the area of hemispheric indigenous peoples’ socio-‐cultural politics to begin July This 1, 2012. position would be filled by an interdisciplinary scholar whose field(s) fall(s) within humanities and/or social sciences, with a specialization in Mexico, Central America, as well as possibly borderlands research and/or emphasis in some other area of Latin America. We are searching for a scholar whose work employs a hemispheric perspective and the political and cultural relevance of the social phenomena taking place in the Americas. Candidates must have a doctorate in hand by the first day of classes.
We seek individuals with a commitment to the enhancement of our Native American Studies undergraduate and graduate programs. Our department is inter/multidisciplinary and hemispheric in perspective. We offer an undergraduate major and minor and graduate program (M.A., Ph.D., and D.E. Designated Emphasis) in Native American Studies. Candidates should include a letter of application, a curriculum vitae, one representative writing sample or publication, student evaluations from two classes, and the names and addresses of three referees. Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2011, and continue until the position is filled.
The University of California, Davis and the Department of Native American Studies are interested in candidates committed to the highest standards of scholarship and professional activities, and to the development of a campus climate that supports equality and diversity. The University of California is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer with a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of diversity among its faculty and staff. In this spirit, UC Davis strongly encourages applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, covered veterans, and all that meet the qualifications for this position.
Address correspondence to Professor Zoila Mendoza, Search Committee Chair Department of Native American Studies One Shields Avenue University of California, Davis Davis, CA 95616 (530) 754-‐9283; FAX (530) 752-‐7097
The Latin American Studies Association (LASA) is the largest professional association in the world for individuals and institutions engaged in the study of Latin America. With over 5,500 members, thirty-five percent of whom reside outside the United States, LASA is the one association that brings together experts on Latin America from all disciplines and diverse occupational endeavors, across the globe.
LASA’s mission is to foster intellectual discussion, research, and teaching on Latin America, the Caribbean, and its people throughout the Americas, promote the interests of its diverse membership, and encourage civic engagement through network building and public debate. 416 Bellefield Hall University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA 15260
lasa.international.pitt.edu