The Laberinth and the Maps. The Caribbean Archive at Casa de las Américas

Abstract

This article presents a research which started in 2016 in the archives of the Caribbean Studies Center (CEC) at Casa de las Américas. Its aim was to reconstruct the Caribbean’s trajectory within the institution’s cultural work since 1959, using documents such as correspondence, reports, journals, and editorial projects. The study highlights the richness of this archival collection, reflecting a democratic and inclusive cultural management, though not without contradictions. It also emphasizes the importance of memory and archival practices as tools to understand the Caribbean’s intellectual relationships and identity projects in contexts of decolonization and geopolitical reconfiguration.