The Necromantic State: Spectral Remains in the Afterglow of Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution

Troconis's book explores how the Venezuelan state has mobilized the image of former Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez following his death in 2013, turning him into a national political specter—transforming the country into what Troconis provocatively names the "necromantic state." Drawing on rare objects—from phone cards to performance art to dolls—The Necromantic State examines the intersection of memory, materiality, and political identity in post-Chávez Venezuela.

This event will include a public lecture by professor Troconis, followed by a moderated discussion with Assistant Professor Ingrid Brioso Rieumont. It is open to the Dartmouth community and will also serve as a core activity in professor Rieumont's course Dreams and Nightmares of the Cuban Revolution.

The event will be of interest to those working in Latin American studies, cultural and performance studies, memory studies, political philosophy and theory, and international relations.

Sponsored by the Leslie Center for the Humanities