(Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Fondo Editorial, 2019-10-25) Flores Espinoza, Javier
In Peru, the discovery of Machu Picchu has proved to be a bone of contention ever since Hiram Bingham first climbed the mountain and reached the Inca settlement. The dispute between Yale University and the Peruvian government over the possession of the archaeological artefacts which Bingham «temporarily» removed from Peru only soured the discussion further. The centennial of Bingham’s «discovery» saw both parties finally reach a settlement, as well as the publication of several books which either study these archaeological materials or explore Bingham’s life and work. And yet Bingham still remains an issue in Peru, the agreement notwithstanding. This love-hate relationship with the American explorer will only be solved once Peru comes to terms with its past, for what is at stake is not so much Bingham, but how Peru conceives and understands its history.
(Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Fondo Editorial, 2019-10-25) Barreto Velázquez, Norberto
This essay examines the US government’s attempts throughout the 20th century to improve its relations with Latin America. It shows that most of these efforts were motivated by external factors such as wars or conflicts with other world powers. Although genuine, these attempts were ultimately subordinate to the United States’ geopolitical and economic foreign policy priorities. Racial elements and, especially, the ignorance of US policymakers dedicated to Latin American affairs, played a role in limiting the success of US initiatives. The essay concludes that a world power’s good intentions alone do not qualify as behaving like a good neighbor.
(Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Fondo Editorial, 2019-10-25) Gilbert, Dennis; Samamé, Liliana
Oligarchic power endured longer in Peru than in any other major Latin American nation. An oligarchy of wealthy families swayed Peruvian politics almost continuously from 1895 to 1968. Even when they did not dominate, the oligarchs exercised a powerful veto. This paper examines the resilience of oligarchic power through the lens of classical elite theory. In particular, it focuses on the problem of elite cohesion as it was tested in the aborted 1936 election.
(Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Fondo Editorial, 2019-10-25) Moreno Gamboa, Olivia
This article draws on old and recent concepts from cultural and literary history as applied to the Republic of Letters in pre-revolutionary France, transferring them to the history of New Spain, with the goal of tracing the “anatomy” or social and professional profile of Mexican authors. During the 18th century, this community experienced important changes in its composition, related to some extent to ecclesiastical secularization and the Bourbon Reforms. This article seeks to contribute to the debate on the impact of the Enlightenment on colonial Spanish America.
(Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Fondo Editorial, 2019-10-25) Alarcón Olivos, Marcos
Although the cabildo was a key institution in the conquest of America, the role it played in the various regions of the continent before the establishment of royal power is not known in detail. This article argues that the establishment of cabildos during the conquest of the Inca Empire allowed the creation of a local Hispanic political space, which enabled the establishment of colonial Peru’s first administrative and government structure. By facilitating the early negotiation and distribution of territorial resources, the institution reduced tensions among members of the expedition and thus provided stability to this first order, even in places that resisted direct control by the current governor. The various leaders of conquest sought to dominate this first order via the cabildos, and to maintain it against the onslaught of their rivals and the Crown.