Dr Natalia Sobrevilla Perea from the Department of Modern Languages is organising a workshop in Peru entitled ‘Live to tell the tale: testimony as a document of the time of violence in Peru (1980-2000)’, at the Lugar de la Memoria (LUM), Peru’s Museum of Memory on Monday 10 August 2015.
The LUM is a project of the Peruvian State that aims to create a dynamic and interactive space that addresses the history of the violence that occurred in Peru between 1980 and 2000. It aims to recognise and dignify the victims of that period through reflection, sharing and celebration. Natalia’s workshop, aimed at young people, will discuss to what degree the audio visual testimonies presented by the Truth and Reconciliation Committee serve as evidence to understand Peru’s recent past, and is a central part of her research for the next Research Excellence Framework (REF) Case study.
While in Peru, Natalia will also present her recently translated book The Caudillo of the Andes: Andrés de Santa Cruz (Cambridge University Press, 2011). The presentation, geared towards the academic community in Peru, will take place in the largest think tank in Peru, the Instituto de Estudios Peruanos which edited the book in collaboration with Universidad Católica, and two local historians will discuss the book.
Born in La Paz in 1792, Andrés de Santa Cruz lived through the turbulent times that led to independence across Latin America. He fought to shape the newly established republics, and between 1836 and 1839 he created the Peru-Bolivia Confederation. The epitome of an Andean caudillo, with armed forces at the centre of his ideas of governance, he was a state builder whose ambition ensured a strong and well-administered country. But the ultimate failure of the Confederation had long-reaching consequences that still have an impact today. The story of his life introduces the reader to broader questions of nationality and identity during this turbulent transition from Spanish colonial rule to the founding of Peru and Bolivia.
For full details, please see the publisher’s webpage here: www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/history/latin-american-history/caudillo-andes-andres-de-santa-cruz