Soy académica colombiana, profesora Titular de la Universidad del Valle.
After two years of virtual preparations, academic consultation and planning of my postdoctoral stay, we agreed with Professor Boaventura de Sousa Santos that my visit would take place, under his supervision, between October 2021 and May 2022. My work would focus on writing a book entitled "Cali: Estallido Social. La Esperanza Sobrepasó al Miedo", consisting of 13 chapters combining experience and academic reflection on a demonstration that shook Colombian politics during 2021.
During the months of my stay, I maintained permanent communication with Prof. Boaventura, having virtual meetings, phone calls, email exchanges and face-to-face meetings. I also attended his master classes, organised by the CES, as well as guest lectures in which he would participate.
My research stay at the ESC was an enriching, rewarding and academically productive experience. I had a comfortable workstation, permanent access to the North/South Library, and inspiring conversations with other researchers and professors, especially those from Latin America; the CES was for me an exemplary niche in which to do critical sociology of Latin American social processes.
At the end of my visit I managed to achieve the goal of having the book manuscript completed, largely thanks to the academic support of Prof. Boaventura. What I value most in his feedback was his ability to recognise my analytical virtues, constantly encouraging me to develop innovative concepts. At the same time, he constantly showed me new conceptual, historical and sociological paths, which allowed me to challenge, with enormous critical rigour, my interpretative models. My greatest learning in this academic relationship with Prof. Boaventura was the vindication of my own thinking and the freedom to think from and with the contextual references of Latin America. In other words, I learned to fearlessly embody the Epistemologies of the South in my own academic and political work.
Regarding my personal relationship with Prof. Boaventura, I can confirm that it was always one of mutual respect and I never felt an arbitrary imposition of criteria or behaviour. Neither against me, nor with respect to any student, did I perceive any violent exercise of power. There were never any sexual advances, and I never felt violated in my condition as a woman, a student, a Latin American.
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