The year 2023-24 marks several important anniversaries in Latin American and global history. Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Chile will commemorate more than five decades since the beginning or end of the military regimes that shaped their societies during the second half of the 20th century. Demands for justice, human rights, democracy, and equality, all related to the afterlives of military dictatorships, are still at the center of contemporary debates and social movements throughout the region. On the other hand, in recent years, there has also been an increase in nostalgic discourse expressing the desire of some sectors of society to return to an authoritarian and conservative past.

In this context, this two-day symposium will provide a platform for scholars, activists, artists, and students to engage in critical discussions surrounding the legacy of military dictatorships in Latin America. We will pay special attention to the case of Chile, as the 50th anniversary of the 1973 civil-military coup coincides with the aftermath of the 2019 "Estallido" and the failure of the first attempt to overcome the institutional legacy of the dictatorship through the approval of a new Constitution. The first proposal for a new Constitution, drafted by an Assembly in which left and center-left organizations had a strong majority, was soundly rejected in a plebiscite in September 2022, opening a new process that is now dominated by the far right. These events are part of a global process involving strong social mobilizations, a crisis of liberal representative institutions, and a dangerous turn of politics and public discourse to the far right. This year’s commemoration in Chile is strongly influenced by the questions and challenges this context and the legacies of the dictatorship pose to Chilean society.

El Simposio Internacional La sobrevida de las dictaduras propone examinar críticamente y debatir las secuelas de las dictaduras latinoamericanas del siglo XX, con especial atención al 50 aniversario del golpe cívico-militar chileno de 1973.

Join the opening 11:00 a.m. session via Zoom. No pre-registration required. Link here.