This is a self-consciously expansive panel that seeks to tease out unexpected connections across case studies typically examined in isolation. The experience of Peru’s armed internal conflict is frequently excluded from comparative histories of military rule in the Southern Cone, yet the experiences of grassroots activists in Lima’s shantytowns suggest multiple intersections with the civil society organizing in Pinochet’s Chile. While conservative Catholic priests mentoring right-wing paramilitary organizations in Argentina might seem to have little in common with young people on Chile’s radical left, generational influences played a critical role in the embrace of armed struggle. Similarly, Jewish activists in New York City concerned about human rights abuses in Uruguay might appear far removed from the realities of poor women and children in Lima and Santiago, yet religious solidarities were critical to building emergent human rights networks across South America.

Our panel will feature 6 short presentations from scholars at different career stages followed by a 30-minute Q&A. This experimental session enables a more inclusive dialogue between generations of scholars and across national histories. It also seeks to highlight new or underutilized archives for exploring the transnational and generational dimensions of political activism in Latin America. The extended Q&A will provide space for participants and audience members to draw connections among the papers, as we hope the session will jump-start future collaborations.