Conference: Britain and the Independence of the Bolivarian Republics

I'm delighted to announce that on 5 September 2012, Canning House in London will be hosting an afternoon and evening conference on the subject of 'Britain and the Independence of the Bolivarian Republics'. Confirmed speakers include the ambassadors of Colombia and Venezuela, respectively Mauricio Rodríguez Múnera, and Samuel Moncada, Academic participants will include Daniel Gútierrez Ardila of the Universidad Externado de Colombia, and Edgardo Mondolfi Gudat of the Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas, Venezuela.

As some of my previous posts have suggested, the last five years have seen a glut of new research on the British contribution to the independence of the Bolivarian Republics (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama). The bicentennary of Simón Bolívar’s visit to London (1810-2010) brought this subject to public attention, with a major event hosted by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London as well as numerous talks, lectures and discussions in the UK, Venezuela and Colombia. As we move towards the bicentennial commemorations of the principal military contributions of British subjects to the independence movements (1815/1824-2015/2024) this conference will bring academic, policy, descendent and diplomatic communities together to reflect and discuss future directions for both research and commemoration. Watch this space for more details on how to sign up to attend, a programme and any other information.