Latin American landscape symbolizing the re-emergence of diverse voices and decolonization.

Unheard Voices: Decolonizing Modernity in Latin America

Soraya Malik in Culture & Society June 2025 • 4 min read.

"Exploring dissident perspectives and dissonant modernities to reshape Latin American narratives."

The dossier 'Latin America as a Place of Enunciation: Dissenting Voices, Dissonant Modernities' marks a significant contribution to academic discourse. It highlights a collaborative effort between the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo and the Università Cà Foscari of Venice, enhancing the international exchange of ideas among scholars and students. This partnership fosters academic mobility and enriches scholarly perspectives through transcultural studies and recognition, facilitated by the Netir (DGP-CNPq) network.

This collection of studies, facilitated by Civitas, offers invaluable insights by showcasing diverse perspectives that challenge and re-evaluate the imposed narratives of modernity. It brings together an interdisciplinary group of scholars who critically examine the historical and contemporary challenges facing Latin America.

Since the 16th century, Latin America has been reshaped by colonial influences, giving rise to new populations that spent centuries navigating and resisting the imposed constructs of modernity. While a hegemonic representation of inevitability was maintained, subtle yet persistent historical resistances against old and new forms of colonialism emerged, leading to the rise of subjects and discourses that highlighted transitions, displacements, and hybrid identities. This dossier aims to showcase Latin America as a dynamic site of enunciation, where authors fearlessly expand public understanding by sharing Latin American narratives that address global issues from their unique perspectives.

Re-evaluating Modernity Through Dissident Voices

Latin American landscape symbolizing the re-emergence of diverse voices and decolonization.

Júlio Pinto and Walter Mignolo initiate the discussion by addressing misrepresentations of Latin America. They challenge the narratives that undermine its peoples and ways of life by positioning them as diametrically opposed to concepts such as 'civilization,' 'development,' 'democracy,' and 'citizenship.' This critique is crucial, especially when academia has historically reinforced these power-laden discourses.

Despite the deeply entrenched nature of these discourses, there is a growing recognition of their limitations. Cracks and fissures have appeared, allowing alternative discourses and political projects to gain traction. These emerging perspectives challenge a 'wavering modernity' that can no longer ignore its constraints. Authors in this field emphasize 're-existence,' 'emergence,' and the 'decoloniality' of thought and science, urging a re-evaluation of how we perceive these phenomena. By focusing on both the act of 'emerging' and the 'urgency' of these issues, scholars ensure that their critiques move beyond mere rhetoric.

Key aspects of this re-evaluation include:

Challenging the concept of a singular, imposed modernity.
Recognizing the historical and ongoing resistance to colonial legacies.
Highlighting the importance of diverse voices in shaping future narratives.
Promoting decolonial approaches to thought and science.

Adelia Miglievich-Ribeiro and Edison Romera Jr. engage with Mignolo’s work, underscoring his intellectual debt to 'anthropologian' Darcy Ribeiro. They highlight Ribeiro's commitment to formulating autonomous and responsible thought from within the Latin American context. Expanding on this lineage of critical thought, they enrich the current 'decolonial turn' by revisiting the post-independence era, marked by Simón Bolívar’s vision of a unified Patria Grande. They clarify how this dream evolved into disputes among regional power holders. Despite these challenges, the initial idea fueled the Martinian utopia of Nuestra América, now inclusive of Brazil. Re-elaborating the Latin American discourse through the potent voices of José Martí and Darcy Ribeiro reasserts the critique of Southern subalternity and contributes to revising Brazilian social thought, which at times has been seduced by foreign modernities at the expense of its own people.

Toward a More Inclusive Discourse

Chiara Vangelista addresses the silences surrounding indigenous populations in Latin America, examining the dynamics of nation-state construction and identity re-elaborations from the 20th and 21st centuries. She analyzes the role of indigenous peoples in the Brazilian Midwest, challenging prejudiced views that depict tribal societies as incapable of developing their own projects, always seen merely as reactions to conquerors. Transformation now allows a new indigenous participation in society and in the state since 1988, makes it possible to reread the past, observing not only the framing of tribal society in that colonial and successively national context, but also the reverse framing the indigenous perspective.

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Everything You Need To Know

What makes the dossier 'Latin America as a Place of Enunciation: Dissenting Voices, Dissonant Modernities' a significant contribution to academic discourse?

The dossier 'Latin America as a Place of Enunciation: Dissenting Voices, Dissonant Modernities' is significant because it showcases a collaboration between the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo and the Università Cà Foscari of Venice. This partnership promotes the international exchange of ideas and transcultural studies, fostering a deeper understanding of Latin American narratives. It facilitates academic mobility through the Netir network and critically examines the region's historical and contemporary challenges, offering diverse perspectives on imposed narratives of modernity.

How do Walter Mignolo and Júlio Pinto challenge the misrepresentations of Latin America, and what concepts do they advocate for?

Walter Mignolo and Júlio Pinto critique the misrepresentations of Latin America by challenging the narratives that position its peoples and ways of life as opposed to 'civilization,' 'development,' 'democracy,' and 'citizenship.' They argue that these discourses, historically reinforced by academia, undermine Latin America's unique identity. They advocate for recognizing alternative discourses like 're-existence,' 'emergence,' and 'decoloniality' to re-evaluate our perceptions of these phenomena.

How do Adelia Miglievich-Ribeiro and Edison Romera Jr. expand on Walter Mignolo's work regarding the 'decolonial turn' and historical figures?

Adelia Miglievich-Ribeiro and Edison Romera Jr. build upon Walter Mignolo’s work, emphasizing his intellectual debt to 'anthropologian' Darcy Ribeiro. They revisit the post-independence era, marked by Simón Bolívar’s vision of a unified Patria Grande, and discuss its evolution. By re-elaborating the Latin American discourse through the voices of José Martí and Darcy Ribeiro, they reassert the critique of Southern subalternity and contribute to revising Brazilian social thought, highlighting the importance of indigenous thought.

How does Chiara Vangelista address the silences surrounding indigenous populations in Latin America?

Chiara Vangelista addresses the silences surrounding indigenous populations by examining the dynamics of nation-state construction and identity re-elaborations. She challenges prejudiced views of tribal societies in the Brazilian Midwest, highlighting their capacity to develop their own projects. She notes that transformation allows a new indigenous participation in society and in the state since 1988. She observes that with that transformation it is possible to reread the past, observing not only the framing of tribal society in that colonial and successively national context, but also the reverse framing the indigenous perspective.

What is meant by the term 'wavering modernity,' and what implications does it have for understanding Latin American narratives?

The concept of 'wavering modernity' refers to the limitations and constraints of imposed narratives of modernity that can no longer be ignored. This perspective arises from cracks and fissures in deeply entrenched discourses, allowing alternative discourses and political projects, like 're-existence' and 'decoloniality' of thought and science, to gain traction. These emerging perspectives challenge the singular, imposed view of modernity by focusing on the historical and ongoing resistance to colonial legacies, and promoting decolonial approaches to thought and science. In essence, 'wavering modernity' acknowledges the instability and inadequacy of traditional views, opening the door to more inclusive and representative narratives.