Juan Diego Molina Méndez, researcher predoctoral fellow at group 'Vínculos, creatividad y cultura' del Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) of the University of Navarra, has made a research stay at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota between August and November 2022. The expert came to the Colombian capital to continue with the research for his thesis on the political biography of Álvaro Uribe Vélez, who was president of Colombia between 2002 and 2010. Molina is in his second year of his thesis , directed by Professor Pablo Pérez López, Full Professor of History at the University of Navarra, and financed by the Fundación Ciudadanía y Valores.

The stay has helped him to obtain more documentation on the eight years of Uribe's government since, as he explains, "there is very little written and I had already reviewed all the bibliography available in Spain". There, he researched in the Library Services of the Javeriana University in Bogota, as well as in the Library Services Nacional, in the periodicals collection Nacional and in the file of the Presidency of Colombia. In the Presidency he found the most valuable information for his thesis . Molina was able to consult documents that, until now, had not been treated as subject for study: correspondence of the Presidency, conference proceedings of Councils of Ministers, the negotiations with the FARC and the paramilitary forces....

During his stay, he also participated online in one of the conferences of the conference of Young Americanists of the University of Seville. As a result of his research in Colombia, Molina expects to publish several scientific articles.

During his stay, researcher was able to work with Rigoberto Rueda, an expert in 19th and 20th century social and political history and professor at the Colombian University. At the same university he made contact with Juana Marín Leoz , dean of School of Social Sciences and alumni of the University of Navarra. Also, thanks to the hours of research, Molina has maintained contacts with officials of the department Administrative Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Colombia. 

The importance of ordinary people

The expert confessed that the city welcomed him very well. Not only the people he had to work with at the University and in the archives, but also the people on the street. For Molina it was essential to "soak up the atmosphere". Reading literature of the time and talking to shoe shiners and Uber drivers made him realize how certain situations are lived, what the perception of the citizens is. "If I don't immerse myself in Colombian culture I can't understand why Uribe came to power, why he did what he did and why he said what he said," she said. 

In addition, during his stay he witnessed Gustavo Petro's rise to power, a major shift of power in Colombian politics. He took the opportunity to closely analyze Uribe's role as head of the opposition party. 

Molina does not rule out a second stay in the same city to finish his research: "I would like to know the area of Antioquia, which is where Uribe comes from," he said. He also hopes "to be able to interview people close to his government". Once he finishes his thesis , he would like to continue researching recent Latin American leaders from a historical perspective.