Perla Polanco (Manchester) "Oil Nationalism and the Coloniality of Resource Extraction in Mexico" and Mauricio Renteria Gonzalez (Manchester) "Racialised Mobility Within Lima's Dominant Class"
| Dates: | 11 November 2026 |
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| Times: | 17:00 - 19:00 |
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| What is it: | Seminar |
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| Organiser: | Faculty of Humanities |
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| Speaker: | Perla Polanco, Mauricio Renteria Gonzalez |
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This talk is part of the seminar series of the Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.
Wed 11 November 2026, 5pm (UK time). This event will be in person and online. You can follow it online here: https://tinyurl.com/yzm5d7k2
This is the first in an experimental format for the seminar series, in which two Latin Americanists at the University of Manchester each present short papers of 30 minutes, each followed by a short Q&A.
Perla Polanco's abstract: Drawing on postcolonial approaches to political economy, this presentation examines oil nationalism in Mexico as a response to historical patterns of colonial extraction, dependency, and external domination. Rather than treating the 1938 oil expropriation as a singular assertion of national sovereignty, the paper situates it within broader struggles over the control of natural resources and the legacies of coloniality in Latin America. Focusing on the evolving role of PEMEX, it explores how nationalist discourses have articulated claims to development, self-determination, and economic autonomy while remaining embedded within global capitalist structures. The analysis highlights the tensions and contradictions of resource sovereignty in a postcolonial context.
Mauricio Renteria Gonzalez's abstract: Drawing on debates surrounding ‘whitening’ in Latin America, my research examines the racialised imprints of social mobility within Lima’s dominant class. In this presentation, I discuss the concept of decolouring, which refers to how Mestizo individuals distance themselves from racialised and classed stigmatised positions without necessarily attaining a symbolically higher racial status. I explore the racial and class underpinnings of decolouring in Peru, highlighting the enduring influence of Mestizaje as an ideology, narratives of ‘progress’, and the persistence of colourism.
Perla Polanco is Lecturer in Politics at the University of Manchester.
Mauricio Renteria Gonzalez graduated in 2025 with a PhD in Sociology from the University of Manchester, where he is currently a Teaching Assistant in Sociology.
Speakers
Perla Polanco
Organisation: University of Manchester
Mauricio Renteria Gonzalez
Organisation: University of Manchester
Travel and Contact Information
Find event
A202
Samuel Alexander Building
Manchester
