Agenda

Interview

1. Please provide a brief outline of your training and scientific activity.

Guatemalan historian and Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow at the Lateinamerika-Institut, Freie
Universität Berlin, where I focus on the early Cold War dynamics in Latin America. I was previously a Visiting
Fellow and Teaching Fellow at the University of Leeds and have held academic positions at institutions in
the U.S., Mexico, and Argentina, as well as being an active member of research groups in Guatemala and
Brazil. I have published three books, with a fourth forthcoming: Guatemala City and the Central American
Cold War: The Life of Manuel Colom Argueta (1954-1979), to be published by Lexington Books in London.
My work has also appeared in top academic journals, including The Americas, Hispanic American Historical
Review, and Latin American Research Review.

2. Please state your reasons for choosing Venice and the Department for your research and teaching stay.

My decision to pursue this research stay in Venice at Ca' Foscari University is largely driven by the
opportunity to collaborate with Professor Dr. Vanni Petinnà, whose expertise in Latin American Cold War
history aligns closely with my own research. His specialized knowledge, along with the availability of
essential primary sources, will greatly contribute to the development of my manuscript, which focuses on
the early Cold War period in the Caribbean Basin. Additionally, the intellectual environment at Ca' Foscari,
known for fostering comparative and interdisciplinary research, will help deepen the global and regional
analyses of my work. Moreover, I look forward to participating in the CLAC Seminar (Coordinación
Latinoamericana Ca’ Foscari), where I will have the chance to present my ongoing research. This seminar
offers an excellent platform for engaging with scholars from various disciplines, encouraging reflection on
theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches. The interdisciplinary dialogue and feedback I will
receive in this collaborative space will undoubtedly enhance the quality and depth of my work.

3. Have you ever had a research collaboration with the teaching staff of Department of Linguistics and
Comparative Cultural Studies in the past?

No, this is my first engagement with both the department and Ca' Foscari University. After carefully
reviewing the academic offerings of various Italian institutions, I found that Ca' Foscari, with its research
focus and specialized programs, was the best fit for my current work and academic interests.