Javier Puente

Javier Puente is an Associate Professor of Latin American and Latino/a Studies at Smith College, where he also serves as Chair of the Latin American and Latino/a Studies Program and Faculty Liaison for the Lewis Global Studies Center. His scholarly work bridges Andean environmental history, agrarian reform, and sociopolitical conflict.

• Education: Ph.D. and M.A. from Georgetown University; B.H. from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

Puente’s research focuses on the intersections of ecological transformations and political struggles in the Andes, particularly examining how campesino communities navigate state formation, capitalist expansion, and environmental crises like El Niño. His work also analyzes the role of dynamite in shaping Peru’s physical and political landscapes over two centuries.

His recent publications explore the long-term impacts of civil war on Andean environments, agrarian reform processes, and state-community dynamics. Puente’s scholarship has been recognized with the 2023 Marysa Navarro Best Book Prize for The Rural State (University of Texas Press, 2022).

He has received research support from institutions such as the Rachel Carson Center, John Carter Brown Library, and Instituto de Estudios Peruanos. Puente also contributes as an editor for NACLA Report on the Americas.