Javier Guerrero

Statement

Fundamentally transdisciplinary and transnational, my work has forged connections between diverse disciplines, regions, bodies of knowledge, and institutions while centering the complex intersections of Latin American studies, materiality, gender, the body, and the archive. Along the way, I have questioned paradigms and deconstructed binaries, reimagining my approach to institutional aims to unlock possibilities for radical politicity.    

Throughout my academic career, I have understood the work we do as dynamic and collective, positioning myself not just as a researcher or professor at Princeton University, but as an instigator of dialogues between hemispheres and disciplines, between varied bodies of knowledge and unconventional epistemological perspectives, reimagining in the process the future topographies of the fields I move within. I have organized numerous symposia, conferences, lecture series, panels, and film festivals that, stemming from a collaborative horizontality, have generated lively debate and direct interventions in various fields.  

As an association, LASA has opened channels of communication between North and South, promoting Latin American studies the world over. Our annual conference is an undeniable reference for those who think critically about Latin America and has generated ongoing dialogue about one of the most complex regions on the planet. I have accepted my candidacy in the hopes of contributing to what I consider among the most worthwhile goals of our association: mitigating the disparities of access to research that plague our field and our regions. Hence, I propose the following policies to strengthen LASA's existing pillars while reimagining certain aspects of the association given the difficult times we currently live in.

1. In addition to offering an annual space for Latin American dialogue, LASA must develop innovative research tools to ameliorate the immense inequities that mar the territories it represents. I aim to reinforce recent measures taken by the association, making LASA an institution that offers permanent accessibility to resources for inter-hemispheric exchange. Given the increasing precarity of many of our countries and institutions– and the ensuing inaccessibility of databases and archives– LASA must commit to providing resource accessibility via its professional networks.

2. LASA must establish permanent research channels that connect institutions and initiatives with complementary goals and provide tools for their collaboration. With an emphasis on North-South dialogues and transdisciplinary endeavors, this will target the debilitating atomization of knowledge that affects both our regions and our field.  

 3. As part of my efforts to bolter LASA's ever-important annual conferences and events, a central part of my vice-presidential and presidential tasks will be procuring resources to bolster participation of Latin American researchers, students, and professors, as well as pushing to organize in Latin America or other historically relevant regions. As COVID-19 has underscored the advantages and drawbacks of both virtual and in-person modalities, I propose a serious reconsideration of our approach to our Latin American dialogues.

 4. The participation of postgraduates and professors at institutions with limited resources both in Latin America and elsewhere constitutes one of the association's fundamental goals. Allocating resources to facilitate the presence of these communities is of vital importance.

5. The association must address disparities of race, gender, and sexual orientation. In addition to important quota work, I propose a sincere discussion about the diversification of our professional association. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I will prioritize the participation of underrepresented collectives in decision-making processes within LASA.

6. LASA must continue to be a pluralistic association of free expression and critical thinking where myriad global and regional positions converge, as our pluralism is what guarantees our continued longevity. As such, I will encourage democratic debates that respect the legitimate right of dissention and generate both critique and consensus.