General Announcement

During 2010 four major Latin American countries, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, will commemorate 200 years of existence as independent nations. In recent years, the approach of this major historical event has generated a growing debate in these countries about not only what has been achieved in the past two centuries, but also the main challenges they are facing today and in the years ahead. While some actors appraise the upcoming Bicentenario in an optimistic and sometimes even triumphalist mood, others cannot conceal their great frustration and disappointment about the long-term results obtained by their nations in the socio-economic, political and cultural fields.

This important commemoration constitutes an excellent opportunity for producing fundamental reflections about the general state of the nation of these four Latin American countries. This International Conference on the Bicentenario aims to provide a multidisciplinary platform for discussion for specialists in these countries coming from Latin America, North America and Europe. Panels will be organized by country around general themes (such as [national] identity; cultural studies, political cleavages; state-society relations, proyecto de país, art and literature, inequality issues, foreign policy, economic performance, among other possible topics). Also thematic panels structured from a comparative perspective ---including papers analyzing two or more of these countries--- will be strongly encouraged. Papers can be written and presented in both Spanish and English.

We hope to see you in Leiden!