2026/2027 Thematic Focus: Sovereignty

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The LMU Latin America Network’s annual theme explores sovereignty as a key lens for understanding current political and social developments in Latin America. It asks how sovereignty is being redefined in a world shaped by growing global interdependence and shifting geopolitical dynamics.

Latin America offers particularly compelling perspectives on these questions. Plurinational models of statehood, Indigenous forms of political and legal self-determination, and the recognition of the rights of nature are challenging conventional ideas of sovereignty. At the same time, access to resources, knowledge, technology, and data raises new questions about dependency, cooperation, and the capacity to shape political and social futures.

Throughout the winter and summer semesters, the LMU Latin America Network will host a series of events and activities bringing together different disciplinary perspectives on sovereignty as a dynamic and multidimensional concept. The programme will provide a forum for interdisciplinary exchange, discussion, and new perspectives on sovereignty in Latin America.