VIII Biannual Ethnicity, Race, and Indigenous Peoples (ERIP) Conference. July 27-29, 2026 Universidad Católica Boliviana "San Pablo" (U.C.B.) La Paz, Bolivia

In 2008, Ecuador’s new Constitution recognized the country as an intercultural and plurinational state. A year later, Bolivia undertook the constitutional refounding of the nation-state by replacing the Republic with the Plurinational State. In both cases, the legal recognition of multiple nations and peoples with full autonomy over their territories was linked to the civilizational horizon of Vivir Bien / sumak qamaña / sumak kawsay / teko porã / küme mogen. The constitutional creation of a legal framework for the plurinational project sparked debate over its viability in other Latin American nations, particularly among Indigenous peoples.

Unfortunately, the right of peoples to autonomy continues to face predatory extractivist economies, sustained by the narrative that the plurinational project “obstructs” progress and development—two concepts that, since the founding of nation-states, have legitimized the plunder of territories (Efrén Nango). This observation becomes all the more urgent in light of the systemic violence against Indigenous and Afro-descendant leaders.

For Feminismo Comunitario, the nation-state represents “the second moment of colonization,” whereas the territory is the communal space that gathers men, women, gender-diverse people, and Mother Earth (Julieta Paredes). For Amazonian nationalities, territory is inhabited as “a space of existence where the visible and invisible coexist—biotic, abiotic, human, and non-human beings forming a living organism, a body-territory—within which the functioning of the state is parasitic” (Efrén Nango). For the Guaraní Nation, territory is also a place of origin and return, not only a sense of belonging but an inalienable exercise of governance (Elías Caurey). From these perspectives, territory is intrinsic to the nations themselves, which pre-exist the colonial system. Hence, it is essential to think of territory also in terms of territoriality—the dynamic dimension of cohabiting, managing, and defending (Verónica Azpiroz).

Within this framework, we invite members of the ERIP and Bolivia Sections, as well as intellectuals, scholars, researchers, activists, artists, and students engaged in the study or creation of artistic production, political and cultural struggles, and the knowledges of the peoples of the Americas. This gathering seeks to circulate the word through exchange, dialogue, and collective construction of thought across contexts and disciplines.