DRCLAS Celebrates 30 Years of Impact Across Latin America
On April 26, the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS) marked a significant milestone: three decades of deepening Harvard’s engagement with Latin America, the Caribbean, and their diasporas. The 30th Anniversary Symposium brought together scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and students for a day of reflection, dialogue, and celebration.
Founded in 1994 with the support of David Rockefeller and then-Harvard President Neil L. Rudenstine, DRCLAS has grown into a vibrant, university-wide hub committed to advancing scholarship, education, and public discourse on the region’s most pressing challenges and opportunities. The Center’s work is grounded in four strategic pillars:
- Supporting cutting-edge research from faculty and students.
- Enabling transformative student learning experiences.
- Hosting Latin American scholars.
- Facilitating vigorous debate to make impossible conversations possible.
“We’re thrilled to have you with us today as we come together to reflect on the region’s most pressing challenges and promising opportunities,” said Executive Director Sol Carbonell in her welcome remarks. “Our mission is to foster, expand, and leverage Harvard’s research, teaching, and convening power to deepen understanding and engagement with the region.”
The day began with a video tribute to the Center’s work and evolution, followed by a powerful keynote plenary on democracy in Latin America, moderated by DRCLAS Faculty Director Steven Levitsky. Joined by former heads of state Michelle Bachelet and Ernesto Zedillo, and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, the panel explored democratic resilience, civic leadership, and regional cooperation.
Throughout the day, panels spotlighted urgent regional issues: the drivers and consequences of criminality and conflict; climate change and environmental sustainability; and the role of entrepreneurship in shaping the future of Latin America. Panelists included leading voices from academia, government, civil society, and the private sector.
“We knew we wanted to address the pressing challenges facing Latin America,” said Carbonell, “but just as importantly, we wanted to celebrate the region’s creativity, culture, and resilience—the qualities that make us so distinct.”
Although Brazilian artist Vik Muniz, originally slated to close the day, was unable to attend due to a family emergency, the arts remained central to the program. Mary Schneider Enriquez, former curator at the Harvard Art Museums and Chair of the 30th Anniversary Planning Committee, introduced Andrea Garza Erdmann, one of DRCLAS’s 2024–2025 Graduate Student Associates. Garza Erdmann read ¿Por qué comer un huayruro? by Naomi Gamarra, part of a two-channel video and poetry installation commemorating DRCLAS’s 30th Anniversary and titled Three Variations of a Diasporic Landscape: A Geography of Longing and Belonging.
The day concluded with remarks by Levitsky, who tied together the themes explored throughout the symposium and reaffirmed the Center’s commitment to a more informed, inclusive, and democratic future for the region.
As DRCLAS enters its fourth decade, the anniversary served not just as a celebration of past achievements, but as a call to action. With strong partnerships, bold ideas, and an enduring commitment to Latin America, the Center looks ahead to the next 30 years with purpose and pride.
We are deeply grateful to our symposium partners and sponsors, including the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, the International Academic Programs, the Mahindra Humanities Center, and the Office for the Arts at Harvard. Their collaboration and generous support were essential in bringing this day to life.
