PLVS VLTRA

Full Issue

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NOTES ON PLVS VLTRA

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FOREWORD FROM THE CHAIR

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MESSAGE FROM THE CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

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Building Order: Manuel Tolsá and Late Colonial Neoclassical Civic Architecture in Mexico

2019-04-08T22:58:15-07:00

Much research has been dedicated to neoclassical European architecture, but much less has been said about its dissemination in Latin America. This paper explores how Spanish architect Manuel Tolsá came to shape the experience of public space in a prominent cultural center of the Spanish empire. Through the revival of borrowed Greco-Roman forms, his vision was realized in the architecture of the colonial system’s public institutions in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. This paper argues that neoclassical architecture embodies the Enlightenment ideal of rational order and reinforces the aims of the Bourbon reforms in the political context of pre-independence Mexico. By connecting the visual evidence of three buildings, the history of the contemporaneous social institutions, and the implications of architecture in public space, I critically examine a visible legacy of Mexico’s late colonial history.

The Cubans in Angola: An Assessment of Military and Diplomatic Involvement in Angola from 1960-1978

2019-04-08T22:58:17-07:00

Cuba’s military and diplomatic interactions in Africa from 1960 to 1978 is a topic often overlooked, in spite of the significant role Cuba played internationally at a time when global tensions were high. This paper examines the role of Cuba in the Angolan Civil War and its diplomatic relations with the Angolan parties vying for power in addition to explaining Cuban motives for engaging abroad militarily. It also explores race relations within Cuba and how its foreign policy was partly a product of domestic relations. Cuba had friendly relations with the Soviet Union during this period and the role of communist ideology is also examined.

The Legacy of a Weak Democracy: The Colombian Case

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The study of democracy in Latin America has been extensive since much of the region transitioned from authoritarian regimes to democratic governments in the 1980s and 1990s. During this period, much of the debate focused on defining the form of democracy that was being implemented by governments across Latin American countries. The purpose of this paper is to extend the research of democracy in Latin America. This article uses Colombia as a case study to identify the three most significant challenges to democracy in the region: political exclusion, political violence, and socioeconomic inequality. Political exclusion, political violence, and social inequality are deeply rooted in Colombia’s long history of conflict and confrontation. Political exclusion and political violence have become practices ingrained in the political behaviour of the regime and has shaped the interaction between the state and civilians, while social inequality has led to the decrease of political representation and a weak democracy.

“The Little Things are Important:” A Closer Look at Peru’s Indigenous Movements

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President Toledo’s platform and the Bagua uprisings brought Peru's Indigenous movements into the limelight. The long and significant history of these movements, however, is often overshadowed by these recent events. Peru's Indigenous movements gained strength and momentum decades earlier, forming regional as well as international linkages to assert their rights and resist exploitation of their territories. However, the Indigenous movements of the Amazon have lacked recognition in political and scholarly discussion. This analysis examines the factors that have silenced them, in addition to illuminating several avenues that recent Indigenous movements have been exploring since the 1970s. Future research should take into account the “little things” and quieter narratives, as well as the political factors eclipsing them, in order to provide a more accurate picture of Indigenous movements in Peru.

Las Cholas de Bolivia: The Uphill Battle Against Racism, Sexism and Commodification in Contemporary Bolivia

2019-04-08T22:58:23-07:00

Cholas, Indigenous Bolivian marketplace women recognized for their distinct traditional dress, have seen the commodification of their image both domestically and internationally. Their long colourful skirts, polleras, have been used by others as a way to censor, label, stereotype and exploit their position in a hierarchical society. Foreigners travel thousands of miles to consume what they hope to be an authentic representation of the chola identity. The creation of cholita wrestling has allowed some upward mobility for a small number of individual chola women, yet it perpetuates the foreign consumption of the Indigenous female body. Throughout their history of marginalization, these women have fought for recognition and equality within Bolivia. This essay will examine how the definition of what it means to be chola in Bolivia is ever-changing as they face one hurdle after another.