The island of Hispaniola, in the middle of the Caribbean basin, is one of only a handful of islands in the world that is shared by two independent nations with distinct official languages. Haiti, in the west, speaks Haitian Creole, and in the Dominican Republic in the East, Spanish is the official language.

Laurent Dubois, John L. Nau III Bicentennial Professor of the History & Principles of Democracy, Academic Director of the Karsh Institute of Democracy at UVA, and a prominent historian of Haiti and the Atlantic World, will give a presentation on his current research project on Thursday, April 13, 2023. The talk will be at 4:00 in Hebert 201, with a reception following in Hebert 125D. His talk is co-sponsored by Africana Studies, the New Orleans Gulf South Center, and the Department of History.

“Seven Rivers & A Sea, or What Was the French Atlantic?”

Brazil experienced a conservative revolt between 2013 and 2018 that culminated with the rise of far-right politician Jair Bolsonaro to the presidency. Bolsonaro’s administration intensified an ongoing process of political polarization and conflict, which resulted in his narrow defeat to then former President Lula da Silva in the 2022 elections. The January 2023 attack on Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Presidential Palace by Bolsonaro’s supporters after his failure to concede defeat exemplify Brazil’s significant process of democratic decay. 

The rise of the far-right is a global phenomenon that is dramatically affecting democracy. Its arrival in Latin America is very recent and in Chile, it is being articulated by José Antonio Kast and the 'Partido Republicano'. In this presentation, Dr. Cristóbal Rovira Kaltwasser will rely on both quantitative and qualitative data to examine those in favor and at odds with the far-right in contemporary Chile.