Department of Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American Studies
Subject: Economic Reform and Violence in Colombia: The Dual Forces Shaping History.
Supervisor: Dr. Claudia Kedar.
Abstract: My research challenges the prevailing scholarly view that positions Colombian guerrillas as a direct counterpart to the state. Instead, I propose that these insurgent groups, perhaps unwittingly, played a crucial role in sustaining right-wing political dominance and inadvertently supporting the advancement of neoliberal economic policies. Drawing on Naomi Klein’s concept of 'disaster capitalism' and focusing on the period from the 1940s to the 1980s, my thesis argues that the guerrillas, whether intentionally or not, contributed to a state of perpetual crisis in Colombia. This ongoing crisis, in turn, facilitated the implementation of unpopular neoliberal reforms.