Virtual Event, register on event page linked below. 

Peru has been in a state of political and humanitarian crisis since early December 2022 when protests erupted in the wake of former President Pedro Castillo’s unsuccessful attempt to shut down Congress to avert an impeachment. When acting President Dina Boluarte–Castillo’s former vice president—announced that elections would not be held until May 2024, Peruvians across the country took to the streets first to demand elections and a constitutional assembly and then, when the national police violently repressed protests, to demand Boluarte’s resignation. Months later, more than 60 Peruvians have died, including 47 protestors killed by state forces, mostly from Southern Andean regions of the country, and Boluarte has refused to resign. 

The current situation in Peru is the latest expression of a deep structural crisis, rooted in historical relations of dominance since colonial times in the highly centralized country. This is reflected in the long-standing conflictive relationship between the capital, Lima, and the other regions, which has polarized the public debate even more. The role of media and emerging technologies have played a crucial role in how these protests have been represented, adding fire to this polarization. To understand this multidimensional crisis from multidisciplinary perspectives, this round table features scholars from both the humanities and social sciences who will reflect on the historical, social, cultural, economic, and political implications of the ongoing crisis for the future of Peru.

Panelists
Aldair Mejía (Photojournalist, Lima)
Cecilia Mendez (UCSB)
Carlos Molina-Vital (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
Mariela Noles Cotito (Universidad del Pacífico, Lima)
Nelson Pereyra (Universidad Nacional San Cristóbal de Huamanga, Ayacucho)

Moderators
Alejandra W. Farro (LALS, UCSC)
Amanda Smith (Literature, UCSC)
Carla Hernández Garavito (Anthropology, UCSC)

This event is presented by The Humanities Institute and co-sponsored by the Department of Latino and Latin American Studies, the Spanish Studies program, Arts Research Institute, and the Dolores Huerta Research Center.