Make (insert country) Great Again? The New Right and Countries without Narratives of Historical Greatness: The Case of Colombia.

The various manifestations of the new right observed across the globe frequently exhibit a nostalgia for a selective and romanticized version of their nations’ past. Moreover, the manner in which new-right actors frame the past offers crucial insights into the actions they advocate in the present and the future they aim to construct. However, there are countries –such as Colombia– where new-right actors do not typically invoke narratives of a “glorious” past. This raises several questions: How do new-right actors in countries like Colombia engage with representations of the past? What role does the past play for these actors in contexts that do not have shared narratives of historical greatness? Are their backward-looking orientations similarly romantic or do they articulate more complex and ambivalent views of history? To answer these questions, I will employ original data and draw on the expertise in memory studies of my host supervisor at the Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira and the expertise in democratic erosion of my home supervisor at the Université de Montréal. The publication of this research, the collaborative exploration of this significant topic, and our participation in international conferences will benefit both participating institutions and help enhance the reach of our work.

Faculty Supervisor:

Françoise Montambeault

Student:

Partner:

Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Public Service, Policy, and Governance; Social Innovation

University:

Université de Montréal

Program: