Constructing an Official Memory of Colombia’s Civil War: An Analysis of the Centro Nacional De Memoria Historica

This paper will analyze the short institutional history of the Centro Nacional de Memoria Historica by examining its founding and recent initiatives. This presentation will focus on how the Colombian national state promotes and channels the memory of past violence.  In addition, the paper will discuss the specific different challenges that Colombia faces in terms of constructing an official memory of what some have called a 40 years long civil war. Examining the discourse of this national historical center also allows me to delve into how the Colombian state has re-imagined itself. The stated goals of the Centro Nacional de Memoria Historia are not only to document past human right abuses and expropriations of land but also to democratize Colombia. Of particular interest will be the production of the document, Basta Ya, which is available for downloading at no cost to all Colombians. This book/pdf file documents and analyzes the recent violence in Colombia since 2000.