Discussing the State of Black Citizenship in Andean Countries

Professor Mariela Noles Cotito (Professor of Political Sciences at Universidad del Pacífico, Peru) has a multidisciplinary background in Law, Political Science and inequality studies focused mainly on the Latin American region. Trained extensively in Peru and in the United States, Noles Cotito holds a Law degree from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, an LLM from the University of Pennsylvania, and dual MA degrees in Latin American Studies and in Political Science from the University of South Florida. Her multifaceted approach to research, which combines her legal and political analysis along with her social sciences insights, contributes to highlight the way in which the intersections of various systems of oppression place different groups outside of the protective ambit of the law.

She has edited three books: “Perú in the 21st Century: Progress, Trends and Challenges;” “Reflections about Peru,” and “Ciudadanias Invisibles.” The last one co-edited with Professor Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman (Rice University), explores the Black and Afro-Peruvian experience through different lenses and disciplines. Professor Noles Cotito has also authored many articles and book chapters, such as “Race, Gender, Class and Public Policies in Latin America and Andean countries,” “A historical, socio-political and discourse approach to the emerging field of Afroperuvian Studies,” and “The path to Black citizenship in Peru: Ethno-racial legislation and the political recognition of Afrodescendants in the country.” Recently, a Visiting Scholar at the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies of Harvard University, Noles Cotito was working on what would be her fourth book: From Black Invisibility to Afroperuvian Citizenship: The Building Process of the “Afro-Peruvian” as a political subject.

In tandem with her academic pursuits, Professor Noles Cotito has served on the board of many civil society organizations and as advisor to several high-level government officials on issues of gender equality, racial discrimination, democratic governance, LGBTQI+ rights, and other human rights issues; expertise that she has also lend to various international organizations.

Parallel to her academic and political work, Professor Noles Cotito has been exploring other platforms to shed light on the most pressing social inequalities in Peru. Now a playwright, she has written two plays: Recuerdos de Octubre, a play about domestic violence against the girl child and its lasting effects on women who mother; and InBestia, a play about governmental corruption and failing state institutions, which she also directed in 2024.