Declassification Diplomacy: a 2026 Colloquium

Hispanic Studies at William & Mary recently hosted a colloquium marking the 50th anniversary of Argentina’s 1976 coup and the 10th anniversary of President Obama’s visit that launched a major “declassification diplomacy” initiative between the United States and Argentina.​

The program opened with a 4:00 pm roundtable on William & Mary’s role in the Argentina Declassification Project, focusing on the politics and ethics of declassification, archives as evidence in truth-seeking and trials, and how newly released primary sources reshape what scholars can teach, research, and know about the dictatorship and its legacies. Moderated by Dr. Silvia Tandeciarz, Vice-Dean for Social Sciences & Interdisciplinary Studies and Chancellor Professor of Hispanic Studies, the conversation featured Isabel Mignone (CELS), Carlos Osorio (National Security Archive), John Powers ’89 (Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State), Federico Schmeigel (Provincial Commission for Memory, La Plata), and Johanna Weech ’20 (Center for Effective Global Action).​

At 5:30 pm, a student panel moderated by Dr. Betsy Konefal (History) showcased research by Liana Carroll ’26, Hannah Deschler ’26, Georgia Freyer ’26, and Martina Queijo ’28, highlighting undergraduate engagement with questions of memory, human rights, and dictatorship.​

The evening concluded with a 7:00 pm performance of Personal Belongings (1975), a play by Diana Raznovich written shortly before her exile, directed by Dr. Sarah Hart (Theater & Performance) and performed by Amanda Sobrado ’27 in the Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall LAB Theater.​

To learn more about the Argentina Declassification Project, attendees are invited to consult the H-Diplo Forum 2021-1, “The Argentina Declassification Project: A Model of ‘Declassification Diplomacy’ to Advance Human Rights—and History,”  and the event recording is now available here. ​

Hispanic Studies extends its thanks to Professor Silvia Tandeciarz for her insightful participation and to Visiting Professor Matías Oviedo for organizing this important event.