Latin America Regional Group
The Second World War Research Group in Latin America is an organisation that brings together Latin American history experts researching aspects of the broad period of the Second World War. The regional group aims to promote innovative research, connect scholars, and serve as a central point of contact for research on the Second World War. As part of its mission, the Second World War Research Group, Latin America, will act as a regional forum for:
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Bringing together new perspectives on the conflict and the concomitant mobilization in several fields (culture, science, etc.) arising from WWII;
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Publicising recent and current research into the conflict and its global impact;
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Encouraging collaboration in research across the scholarly community and academic disciplines;
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Promote initiatives aimed at creating and making available bibliographic databases and digital document collections relevant to researchers interested in studying the relationship between the region and World War II.
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Providing an organisational hub for conferences, seminars, and other events relating to the conflict; and
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Supporting members by serving as the first point of contact for key stakeholders and audiences interested in research and expertise on the Second World War.
Committee
Director
Adriana received her PhD in History of Science from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She has published on the encouragement of inter-American scientific relations as part of the mobilization of science and the cultural diplomacy during the Second World War. She is associate professor of history of science in the Center for Historical Studies (CEH) at the College of Mexico (COLMEX).
Director
Professor Alexandre Fortes
Alexandre is a full professor at the History Department, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, and served as Mellon Visiting Professor at Duke University. He holds a PhD from the State University of Campinas and was the coordinator of the Brazilian History Association working group on labor history. He develops research projects with support from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development and the Rio de Janeiro State Research Support Foundation. Starting in September 2025, Fortes will be a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University. Author of “The Second World War and the Rise of Mass Nationalism in Brazil: Class, Race, and Citizenship” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024).
Director
Dr Dilton Cândido Santos Maynard
Dilton holds a PhD in History from the Federal University of Pernambuco (2008). He was a postdoctoral fellow in History at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2013). He is a collaborating professor in the Graduate Program in Comparative History at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (PPGHC/UFRJ). He is also a professor in the Professional Master's Program in History Teaching at UFS (Profhistória UFS). He has published several works on the impact of World War II in the Brazilian Northeast. He develops research projects with support from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.
Director
Dr Francisco Ferraz
Francisco is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the State University of Londrina (UEL), Brazil. He holds a bachelor's degree from Universidade Estadual Paulista (1988) and earned his doctorate from Universidade de São Paulo (2003), where his research focused on the social reintegration and collective memory of Brazilian World War II veterans. His publications center on the Second World War, military history, the Brazilian armed forces, and politics.
Director
Paula Martinez Almudevar
Paula is a professor at the Arturo Jauretche National University in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and holds a master’s degree in history from the IDAES School (UNSAM). She is currently a doctoral candidate in History at the Interdisciplinary School of Advanced Social Studies (EIDAES-UNSAM), with her research focusing on the social and cultural history of radio workers in Buenos Aires between 1935 and 1946. In this regard, she is interested in the impact that World War II had on radio communications and how radio work developed during that period.
Membership
If you are interested in joining the Second World War Research Group in Latin America, please email us at fortes.ufrrj@gmail.com, providing your name, affiliation, and research interests.