Dr Guillaume Candela

(he/him)

Dr

Research

Research Overview

My research combines traditional archival expertise with cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies to recover the hidden histories of enslaved and marginalised peoples in colonial Latin America. I specialise in early colonial Paraguay, Indigenous History, Afro-Paraguayan History, and Digital Humanities, with particular focus on the experiences of enslaved Indigenous, African, and African-descended peoples from the 16th to 19th centuries.

Working across Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Indigenous language archives, I develop innovative AI-driven methodologies—including Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR), Natural Language Processing, and spatial analysis—to unlock inaccessible historical sources and reveal narratives that have been systematically excluded from traditional historiography. My work is grounded in decolonial and community-engaged methodologies that centre marginalised voices and challenge colonial narratives.

Current Research Projects

Unlocking Hidden Histories: Adapting HTR for Colonial Paraguayan Archives

Schmidt Sciences, Humanities and AI Virtual Institute (HAVI) Development Award, 2025-2026
Principal Investigator | Co-Investigator: Prof. Patricia Murrieta-Flores (Tecnológico de Monterrey/Lancaster University)

This project pilots the adaptation of Handwritten Text Recognition models to the unique paleographic and material conditions of Paraguay's colonial archives. Colonial Paraguay's Archivo Nacional de Asunción contains thousands of manuscripts documenting the lives of enslaved Indigenous and African descent peoples, yet these sources remain largely inaccessible due to the complexity of early modern handwriting and the absence of structured digital transcriptions.

Over 5½ months, we are curating a 165-document pilot corpus, fine-tuning and testing HTR models for six colonial scripts, measuring accuracy, and producing reusable datasets and documentation. The project establishes a transferable workflow for large-scale transcription of historical archives while training local ANA staff and ensuring long-term data preservation. This work demonstrates how humanistic questions about recovering erased colonial histories can drive AI innovation and equitable digital capacity building in Global South institutions.

Mapping Enslavement and Forced Labour in Colonial Latin America

AHRC Proposal (Under Evaluation), £1.4M
Principal Investigator

This proposed project will merge slavery studies with AI and data mining to transform the study of colonial slavery in Latin America. Using AI-driven data mining and spatial analysis, the research will challenge traditional historiographies of slavery and colonial societies, materialising previously inaccessible elements of forced labour systems and visualising personal trajectories of enslaved Indigenous, African, and African-descended people in colonial Paraguay (16th-19th centuries).

The project aims to unveil hidden slavery sites and experiences, offering a groundbreaking approach to one of the most pressing gaps in colonial history. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, we will create new methodologies for studying colonial slavery that can be applied across Latin American archives.

New Spain Fleets: Three Centuries of Socioeconomic Colonial History Through AI

Lancaster University Collaboration, 2024-Present
Research Collaborator

As a Spanish Palaeography and Digital Humanities expert for this project, I apply AI methods, including HTR through the Transkribus platform, to analyse colonial Spanish American documentation from Spain and Mexico. I contribute expertise in Spanish and Latin American Archives and Indigenous History, specifically on the enslavement of Indigenous peoples in Colonial Spanish America.

This collaboration demonstrates the potential of AI technologies to unlock vast colonial archives and reveal patterns in socioeconomic history across three centuries. Learn more about the New Spain Fleets project

Rebellions, Conflicts and Indigenous Resistances in the Platine Space (1515-1630)

CNPq/MCTI Research Fellowship, UNILA (Brazil), 2023-Present
Research Associate Fellow | Principal Investigator: Dr Tiago Bonato

This 24-month project examines Indigenous rebellions, conflicts, and resistance strategies in the Río de la Plata Basin during the early colonial period. My contribution focuses on archival analysis of Indigenous agency and resistance in Paraguay, challenging traditional narratives that present Indigenous peoples as passive victims of colonisation.

Research Themes and Expertise

Indigenous and Afro-Paraguayan Slavery

My work recovers the hidden experiences of enslaved peoples in colonial Paraguay, examining both Indigenous slavery (which predated and coexisted with African slavery) and the experiences of African and Afro-descendant peoples. Using Spanish palaeography and digital methods, I analyse parish records, notarial documents, legal proceedings, and correspondence to reconstruct individual life trajectories and systemic patterns of enslavement and forced labour.

Tupi-Guaraní Studies and Indigenous Languages

I specialise in Tupi-Guaraní peoples, history, languages, and cultural practices during the colonial period. My research examines how Indigenous languages were transcribed, translated, and transformed by Spanish colonisers, revealing both colonial violence and Indigenous resistance embedded in linguistic sources. I have published foundational studies on Tupi-Guaraní languages in 16th and 17th-century sources, including collaborative work with renowned Guaraní scholar Bartomeu Melià.

Digital Humanities and AI-Driven Historical Research

As a pioneer in applying AI technologies to colonial Latin American archives, I develop and adapt Handwritten Text Recognition models, implement Natural Language Processing techniques, and use spatial analysis to visualise historical data. My digital humanities work includes creating the groundbreaking Latin American and Caribbean Indigenous Languages digital project at Brown University's John Carter Brown Library and training HTR models for multiple colonial archives.

Decolonial Methodologies and Community Engagement

My research is committed to decolonising historical narratives by centring Indigenous and Afro-descendant voices, challenging Eurocentric historiography, and engaging with contemporary Indigenous and Afro-Paraguayan communities. I work to ensure that digital projects and archival research serve the interests of descendant communities and contribute to broader movements for historical justice.

Recent Collaborations and Affiliations

• Centre de recherches sur les mondes américains (EHESS, France) - Research Associate Fellow, 2024-Present
• Lancaster University - New Spain Fleets Project collaboration, 2024-Present
• UNILA (Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana, Brazil) - Research Associate Fellow, 2023-Present
• School for Advanced Research (Santa Fe, New Mexico) - Native Bound-Unbound Archive of Indigenous Slavery, 2022-2024 ($1.5M Mellon Foundation Grant)
• Universidade Federal do Amapá (Brazil) - Visiting Professor and research collaboration, 2024

Public Engagement and Digital Outreach

Indigenous Echoes - Río de la Plata

I founded and maintain this social media initiative promoting Indigenous history and decolonising historical narratives, reaching over 5,300 followers across Facebook and Bluesky. The project shares archival discoveries, historical analysis, and contemporary Indigenous issues, making academic research accessible to broader audiences.

Publications and Impact

My research has been published in leading journals, including Hispanic American Historical Review, Mélanges de la Casa de Velázquez, Bulletin of Latin American Research, and Chungará Revista de Antropología Chilena. My book Entre la pluma y la cruz (2018) was selected as one of the best cultural items of the year by Colombia's El Tiempo newspaper.

I serve on the editorial board of Desde el Archivo - Kuatiá Renda (Scientific Journal of the National Archives of Paraguay) and regularly review for prestigious journals including Hispanic American Historical Review, Mélanges de la Casa de Velázquez, and multiple Latin American scholarly publications.

Why This Research Matters

Colonial slavery in Paraguay remains one of the least understood aspects of global slavery history. While African slavery in the Caribbean, Brazil, Peru, Mexico and North America has received extensive scholarly attention, the experiences of enslaved peoples in colonial Paraguay, where Indigenous slavery was widespread and African-descended peoples faced unique forms of exploitation, remain largely hidden in inaccessible archives.

By combining traditional paleographic expertise with cutting-edge AI technologies, my research makes it possible to analyse thousands of colonial documents at scale, revealing patterns and individual experiences that would otherwise remain invisible. This work not only advances historical knowledge but also contributes to contemporary conversations about historical justice, Indigenous and African descendant communities' rights, and the legacies of colonialism in Latin America.

My commitment to decolonial and multilingual methodologies ensures that this research serves the interests of descendant communities, challenges Eurocentric narratives, and contributes to more inclusive and accurate understandings of Latin American history.

Teaching

Teaching Expertise and Approach

I bring over a decade of international teaching experience across six countries (UK, France, Brazil, Paraguay, USA, and French Guiana), working with undergraduate and postgraduate students in Colonial Latin American History, Indigenous History, Spanish Palaeography, Digital Humanities, and language instruction. My teaching integrates traditional historical methodologies with innovative digital approaches, emphasising critical thinking, decolonial and multilingual perspectives, and hands-on archival skills.

I am committed to making colonial Latin American history accessible and relevant to contemporary students while centring Indigenous and Afro-descendant voices that have been marginalised in traditional historiography. My pedagogy emphasises primary source analysis, paleographic skills, and critical engagement with colonial archives, preparing students to conduct original research and think critically about historical narratives.

Areas of Instruction

Colonial Latin American History

I have taught comprehensive courses on colonial Latin American societies, focusing on Paraguay and the Río de la Plata region from the 16th to 19th centuries. My courses examine Spanish colonisation, Slavery, Indigenous and Afro-Latin-Spanish relations, colonial institutions, religious life, and the social structures that shaped early modern Latin America.

Gender and Slavery in Latin America

I have designed and delivered courses examining the intersections of gender, race, and slavery in colonial Latin America. These courses explore the experiences of enslaved Indigenous, African, and African-descended peoples, with particular attention to women's roles, resistance strategies, and the complexities of colonial social hierarchies. Students engage with primary sources, including legal documents, parish records, and correspondence to understand how gender and slavery shaped colonial societies.

Religion and Society in Spanish America

I teach courses examining the role of religion and catholicism in colonial Spanish America. These courses explore the Catholic Church's influence on colonial society, Indigenous spiritual practices and their transformation under colonialism, clerical debates about Indigenous rights, and the complex interactions between European and Indigenous religious worldviews.

Spanish Palaeography and Archival Methods

I offer specialised training in reading and transcribing 16th and 17th-century Spanish colonial manuscripts. These workshops and courses provide students with essential skills for conducting original archival research, including understanding colonial handwriting styles, abbreviations, and documentary typologies. I have led palaeography workshops at the National Archive of Asunción (Paraguay), training both students and archival professionals.

Digital Humanities and Historical Research

I integrate digital methodologies into historical instruction, teaching students how to use Handwritten Text Recognition technologies, digital archives, spatial analysis tools, and data visualisation techniques. This training prepares students for the evolving landscape of historical research and demonstrates how technology can unlock inaccessible historical sources.

Indigenous Languages and Ethnohistory

I teach specialised seminars on Indigenous languages in colonial documentation, examining Tupi-Guaraní and other Indigenous languages as recorded in colonial sources. These courses explore translation practices, linguistic colonialism, Indigenous agency in language preservation, and how to read Indigenous voices in colonial documents.

Early Modern Europe and Comparative Colonial History

I have taught courses examining Early Modern European history in comparative perspective, exploring connections between European and Latin American colonial contexts, transatlantic networks, and the global dimensions of early modern history.

Historical Methodologies and Research Skills

I provide instruction in fundamental historical research methodologies, including reading scientific texts, writing essays and research papers, source criticism, historiography, and developing historical arguments. I have taught methodology courses for undergraduate and teacher preparation programs.

Recent Teaching Positions

University of Leeds, UK (2022-2024)

As Teaching Fellow and later Visiting Research Fellow in Colonial Latin American History, I served as Module Leader for upper-level undergraduate courses on gender and slavery in Latin America and religion in Spanish America. I also taught first-year courses on global empires, faith and knowledge in the early modern period, and exploring history. For postgraduate students, I taught seminars on histories of migration and approaches to race. I supervised undergraduate dissertations and provided individual tutorial support across multiple year levels.

Université de Guyane, French Guiana (January-August 2022)

As a Visiting Professor, I taught courses on Early Modern Europe and Early Modern Latin America History for second and third-year students. I also taught in the History and Geography Teacher Preparation Program, providing specialised training for future educators. Additionally, I taught methodological courses, including Writing in History, Methodologies of History, and Reading Scientific Texts and Writing Essays, helping students develop essential research and analytical skills.

Universidade Federal do Amapá, Brazil (March 2024)

As a Visiting Professor, I taught an intensive seminar for undergraduate and postgraduate students titled "Enslaved Indigenous Peoples in the Iberian Empires in the Early Modern Era," examining Indigenous slavery across Portuguese and Spanish American contexts with particular focus on Amazonian and Platine regions.

Aberystwyth University, UK (2020-2021)

As a Language Instructor in the Department of Modern Languages, I taught French Language and Culture courses and French Listening at multiple year levels. I participated in curriculum revision for French language programs and contributed to departmental pedagogical development.

Université François-Rabelais Tours, France (2012-2015)

As an Assistant Professor, I taught Spanish language at multiple levels, Latin American History and Culture, Spanish and Latin American Cinema, Spanish Writing and Translation (Spanish-French), and specialised courses in Applied Foreign Languages. I participated in curriculum development for Latin American Civilisation and Spanish language courses.

Pedagogical Training and Development

CLIR Postdoctoral Fellowship Summer Seminar (2019)

Participated in intensive training at Bryn Mawr College (Pennsylvania, USA) on data curation, digital pedagogy, and innovative approaches to teaching with digital collections. This seminar enhanced my skills in integrating digital humanities methods into teaching and research.

Teaching Experience Development

Throughout my career, I have continuously developed my pedagogical approaches through:

• Leading palaeography workshops for students and archival professionals in Paraguay
• Organising and curating exhibitions that serve as teaching tools (John Carter Brown Library, National Archive of Asunción)
• Developing digital projects that provide pedagogical resources for students and researchers
• Participating in curriculum revision and program development at multiple institutions
• Supervising undergraduate and postgraduate research projects

Academic Affiliations

Current Affiliations

• Cardiff University - Honorary Research Fellow, School of Geography and Planning (2025-Present)
• Centre de recherches sur les mondes américains (EHESS, France) - Research Associate Fellow (2024-Present)
• UK Latin American Studies Association (UKLAH) - Executive Committee Member (2023-Present)
• Colonial Section of the Latin American Studies Association - Communications Committee Member (2022-Present)

Previous Teaching Affiliations

• University of Leeds - Teaching Fellow and Visiting Research Fellow (2022-2024)
• Université de Guyane - Visiting Professor (2022)
• Aberystwyth University - Language Instructor (2020-2021)
• Brown University, John Carter Brown Library - CLIR Postdoctoral Fellow (2019-2020)
• Université François-Rabelais Tours - Assistant Professor (2012-2015)
• Université Aix-Marseille - Tutor (2008-2009)

Teaching Languages

I teach in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese, enabling me to work with diverse student populations and multilingual historical sources. This multilingual expertise enhances my ability to teach colonial Latin American history, which requires engaging with sources in Spanish, Portuguese, Latin, and Indigenous languages.

Commitment to Student Success

I am dedicated to mentoring students at all levels, from first-year undergraduates to postgraduate researchers. I provide individualised support for students developing research projects, offer guidance on archival research methods, and help students develop critical analytical skills. My teaching emphasises preparing students not only to understand colonial Latin American history but also to engage critically with contemporary issues related to colonialism, race, Indigenous rights, and historical justice.

Through workshops, seminars, and individual mentoring, I help students develop paleographic skills that open doors to original archival research. I have trained students and early-career researchers in reading colonial manuscripts, using digital humanities tools, and developing decolonial approaches to historical research.

Biography

I am an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University, where I specialise in early colonial Paraguay, Indigenous and Afro-Paraguayan History, and Digital Humanities. Since June 2024, I have been developing an AHRC project proposal titled "Mapping Enslavement and Forced Labour in Colonial Latin America: Using AI to Unveil Hidden Slavery Sites and Experiences" (currently under evaluation), which merges slavery studies with AI and data mining to transform colonial slavery research. In 2025, I was awarded a Schmidt Sciences Humanities and AI Virtual Institute (HAVI) Development Award to lead the project "Recovering Hidden Histories: Adapting Handwritten Text Recognition for Colonial Paraguayan Archives" in collaboration with Professor Patricia Murrieta-Flores (Tecnológico de Monterrey/Lancaster University).

Since May 2024, I have been collaborating with Lancaster University's New Spain Fleets Project as a Spanish Palaeography and Digital Humanities expert, applying AI methods, including Handwritten Text Recognition through the Transkribus platform. I also hold a Research Associate Fellowship at the Centre de recherches sur les mondes Américains (EHESS, France) since January 2024.

From October 2022 to December 2024, I served as a Senior Research Associate for the Native Bound-Unbound Project, funded by an Andrew Mellon Foundation grant, creating an open-source central repository on enslaved Indigenous Peoples in the Americas. I worked extensively with historical records related to Indigenous enslaved people in the Río de la Plata Basin during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Concurrently, from September 2022 to August 2023, I held a Teaching Fellowship in Colonial Latin American History at the University of Leeds, where I served as Module Leader for "Gender and Slavery in Latin America" and "Sin in Spanish America," teaching undergraduate and graduate courses. From September 2023 to August 2024, I continued at Leeds as a Visiting Research Fellow in Colonial Latin American History.

From January to August 2022, I was a Visiting Professor at the Université de Guyane (French Guiana), where I taught courses on Early Modern Europe and Early Modern Latin America History, as well as methodological courses on Writing in History and Reading Scientific Texts. This position allowed me to develop new pedagogical approaches for History and Geography Teacher Preparation Programs while conducting research in the Amazonian context.

Between November 2020 and September 2021, I served as a Language Instructor at the Department of Modern Languages, Aberystwyth University (Wales), where I taught French Language and Culture courses. I participated in curriculum revision for French language programs and contributed to departmental development initiatives while maintaining my research activities.

From July 2019 to August 2020, I was a CLIR Postdoctoral Fellow for Data Curation in Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the John Carter Brown Library, Brown University. There, I created a groundbreaking digital project on Indigenous Languages that offers access to one of the most voluminous repositories of Indigenous language manuscripts and books produced during the colonial period, reshaping international data curation standards for Indigenous materials. I also organised exhibitions and workshops, including "Paper Worlds of Native Voices at the John Carter Brown Library" and led scholarly discussions on Indigenous languages in colonial America.

From January 2017 to December 2019, I served as Ministry Counsellor for Paraguay's National Secretariat of Culture. In this role, I coordinated international cooperation between France and Paraguay for the creation of a Paraguayan school of Archaeology, led South-South cooperation between Colombia and Paraguay for training staff at the National Archive of Asunción, organised the 2018 International Conference on the Golden Book, and led Paraguay's organization of UNESCO's International Year of Indigenous Languages in 2019. I also organised workshops and meetings with scholars and Indigenous Peoples throughout Paraguay, curated multiple exhibitions on colonial Paraguay history, and conducted extensive archival research. In August 2025, I received personal recognition from Paraguay's President Santiago Peña Palacios for my scientific consulting on repatriating stolen 16th-century manuscripts from the United States.

From 2012 to 2015, I held a fixed-term Assistant Professor position (ATER) at the Spanish and Portuguese Department and LEA (Applied Foreign Languages) Department at Université François-Rabelais Tours, France, where I taught Spanish language, Latin American History and Culture, Spanish and Latin American Cinema, and translation courses while participating in curriculum development.

I completed my PhD in Hispanic and Latin American Studies at Université Sorbonne-Nouvelle Paris III (2009-2016), where my dissertation examined "The Settlement of a Marginal Society: Letters and Actions of the Clergy during the Conquest of Paraguay (1537-1580)" under the direction of Professor Bernard Lavallé. I hold an MA (2007-2009) and BA (2004-2007) in Hispanic and Latin American Studies from Université Aix-Marseille, and participated in the ERASMUS Student Exchange Program at the Universidad de Granada (2005-2006).

I am fluent in French and Spanish (native speaker), English (fluent), Portuguese (advanced), and Guaraní (intermediate). My research combines Spanish palaeography expertise with AI-driven technologies to uncover the experiences of enslaved Indigenous, African, and Afro-descendant peoples in colonial Latin America. I am committed to decolonial, multilingual and community-engaged methodologies that centre marginalised voices in historical scholarship. I currently maintain the Indigenous Echoes - Río de la Plata social media initiative, which promotes Indigenous history and decolonising historical narratives to over 5,300 followers across Facebook and Bluesky, and serve on the executive board of the UK branch of the Latin American Studies Association (UKLAH).

Honours and awards

• Schmidt Sciences Humanities and AI Virtual Institute (HAVI) Development Award (2025)
Principal Investigator for "Unlocking Hidden Histories: Adapting Handwritten Text Recognition for Colonial Paraguayan Archives" in collaboration with Professor Patricia Murrieta-Flores. This prestigious award supports the development of AI-driven methodologies to adapt HTR models trained from Mexican and Spanish early modern manuscripts to colonial Paraguayan documents and analyse colonial Paraguayan manuscripts documenting enslaved Indigenous and African descent peoples.

• Presidential Recognition for Manuscript Repatriation (August 2025)
Personal recognition from President Santiago Peña Palacios of the Republic of Paraguay for scientific consulting on the repatriation of stolen 16th-century manuscripts from the United States. This recognition was bestowed during the official manuscript return ceremony in Paraguay.

• CLIR Postdoctoral Fellowship for Data Curation (2019)
Competitive fellowship awarded by the Council on Library and Information Resources for data curation in Latin American and Caribbean Indigenous Languages at Brown University's John Carter Brown Library. This fellowship supported the creation of the groundbreaking Indigenous Languages digital project.

• Best Cultural Item of the Year (2018)
Book Entre la pluma y la cruz selected as one of the best cultural items of 2018 by El Tiempo de Bogotá, Colombia's leading newspaper. This work transcribes and analyses the letters of priest Martín González, who defended the Guaraní from Spanish abuses in 16th-century Paraguay.

Academic positions

• Honorary Research Fellow, School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University, UK (January 2025-Present)

Principal Investigator for "Recovering Hidden Histories: Adapting Handwritten Text Recognition for Colonial Paraguayan Archives" in collaboration with Professor Patricia Murrieta-Flores. This prestigious award supports the development of AI-driven methodologies to adapt HTR models trained from Mexican and Spanish early modern manuscripts to colonial Paraguayan documents and analyse colonial Paraguayan manuscripts documenting enslaved Indigenous and African descent peoples.

Developing the AHRC project proposal "Mapping Enslavement and Forced Labour in Colonial Latin America: Using AI to Unveil Hidden Slavery Sites and Experiences" (under evaluation). Leading research that merges slavery studies with AI and data mining to transform colonial slavery research.

• Research Collaborator, The New Spain Fleets Project, Lancaster University, UK (May 2024-Present)
Spanish Palaeography and Digital Humanities expert applying AI methods, including Handwritten Text Recognition through the Transkribus platform, Natural Language Processing, and Corpus Linguistics. Colonial Latin American History expert contributing expertise in Spanish and Latin American Archives and Indigenous History, specifically on the enslavement of Indigenous peoples in Colonial Spanish America.

• Research Associate Fellow, Centre de recherches sur les mondes américains (UMR 8168 CNRS), EHESS, France (January 2024-Present)
Research fellowship at a leading French institution for advanced social science research.

• Research Associate Fellow, Rebeliões, conflitos e resistências indígenas no espaço platino (1515-1630), UNILA, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil (October 2023-Present)
CNPq/MCTI Nº 10/2023 - Faixa A - Grupos Emergentes project, coordinated by Dr Tiago Bonato.

• Visiting Research Fellow in Colonial Latin American History, School of History, University of Leeds, UK (September 2023-August 2024)
Continued research collaboration following teaching fellowship, focusing on Indigenous and Afro-Paraguayan history and digital humanities methodologies.

• Visiting Professor, Department of History, Programa de Pós-Graduação em História da Universidade Federal do Amapá (PPGH/Unifap), Grupo de Estudos Coloniais Amazônicos - Gescam, Universidade Federal do Amapá, UNIFAP, Brazil (March 2024)
Taught a seminar for undergraduate and postgraduate students titled "Povos ameríndios escravizados nos impérios ibéricos na era moderna."

• Senior Research Associate, Native Bound Unbound: Archive of Indigenous Slavery, School for Advanced Research, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA (October 2022-December 2024)
Created an open-source central repository on enslaved Indigenous Peoples in the Americas. Worked with historical records related to Indigenous enslaved people, including archival material in the Río de la Plata Basin during the 16th and 17th centuries. Andrew Mellon Foundation Grant.

• Teaching Fellow in Colonial Latin American History, School of History, University of Leeds, UK (September 2022-August 2023)
Module Leader for undergraduate courses including HIST3790 "Gender and Slavery in Latin America" and HIST2090 "Sin in Spanish America." Tutor and lecturer for various undergraduate and graduate courses. Led Summer School palaeography workshop at the National Archive of Asunción, Paraguay (July-August 2023).

• Visiting Professor, Department of Literature, Languages, History and Social Sciences, Université de Guyane, France (January 2022-August 2022)
Taught courses on Early Modern Europe and Early Modern Latin America History, History and Geography for Teacher Preparation Program, Writing in History, Methodologies of History, and Reading Scientific Texts and Writing Essays.

• Language Instructor, Department of Modern Languages, Aberystwyth University, UK (November 2020-September 2021, part-time)
Taught French Language and Cultures, and French Listening courses. Participated in curriculum revision for French language courses' content. Marked year 1, 2, and 3 tests and participated in Modern Languages Department meetings.

• CLIR Postdoctoral Fellow for Data Curation in Latin American and Caribbean Indigenous Languages, The John Carter Brown Library, Brown University, USA (July 2019-August 2020)
Creator and developer of the Digital Project "Latin American and Caribbean Indigenous Languages at the John Carter Brown Library." Participated in the development of the new JCB Digital Platform. Organised and led exhibitions and workshops about Indigenous Languages in the Americas at the JCB.

• Ministry Counsellor, Secretaría Nacional de Cultura del Paraguay, Asunción, Paraguay (2017-2019)
Consulting for cultural and patrimonial areas. Led organisation of UNESCO Indigenous Languages Year (2019) in Paraguay, coordinated international cooperation between France and Paraguay for creation of Paraguayan school of Archaeology, led South-South cooperation between Colombia and Paraguay for training National Archive staff, organised International Conference on the Golden Book (2018), and conducted workshops with scholars and Indigenous Peoples throughout Paraguay.

• Principal Investigator and Ministry Counsellor, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola - Secretaría Nacional de Cultura del Paraguay, Asunción, Paraguay (2017-2018)
Led research project "El Libro de Oro, un objeto patrimonial del Paraguay." Organised events to create knowledge and engagement around this patrimonial object, including congresses, exhibitions, talks, TV and radio shows. Led international agreements for transforming and improving the National Archives of Paraguay.

• Ph.D. Candidate, Université Sorbonne-Nouvelle Paris III, France (2015-2017)
Full-time doctoral research on the settlement of marginal society and the clergy's role during the Conquest of Paraguay (1537-1580).

• Assistant Professor (ATER), Spanish and Portuguese Department and LEA (Applied Foreign Languages) Department, Université François-Rabelais Tours, France (2012-2015)
Fixed-term position teaching Spanish language, Latin American History and Culture, Spanish and Latin American Cinema, Spanish Writing Synthesis and Technique, and Translation Spanish-French courses. Participated in curriculum revision for Latin American Civilisation and Spanish language courses.

• Tutor for Undergraduate Students, Spanish and Latin American Studies Department, Université Aix-Marseille, France (2008-2009, 30%)
Teaching Latin American History methodology.

Speaking engagements

• Keynote Speaker, XXXV Coloquio Internacional de Estudiantes de Historia, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (October 2025)
"Latin American and Caribbean Indigenous Languages at the John Carter Brown Library."

• Paper Presentation, 2025 Latin America & Caribbean Digital Humanities Symposium (LACDH), The University of Florida, University of North Florida, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, and University of Puerto Rico (November 2025)
"Mapping Enslavement and Forced Labour in Colonial Latin America."

• Keynote Speaker, Environment and Development Day(s), The School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University, UK (March 2025)
"Colonial Paraguay's Slavery, Environmental Impacts and Artificial Intelligence Research."

• Seminar Presentation, EHESS, Paris, France (February 2025)
"Diversidad lingüística, traducción y comunicación política en el imperio hispánico: fuentes y metodologías para una historia polifónica." Paper title: "Raza, espacio y materialidades de la esclavitud en las fronteras de América. Resistencias de afrodescendientes y pueblos autóctonos en el Río de la Plata colonial."

• Review Presentation, Seminario Mujeres en los márgenes, UNAM, Mexico (November 2024)
Review of Mercedes Avellaneda's "Intercambio, cautiverio y resistencia. Las milicias jesuitas y la introducción de mujeres infieles en las reducciones de frontera. Siglos XVII y XVIII."

• Paper Presentation, Communication and Exchange in the Early Modern c.1500-1850, Aberystwyth University, UK (May 2024)
"Women, Friars, Privateers, and Caciques - Examining the Interplay of Correspondence, Network, Religion, and Indigenous Lives in Early Modern Rio de la Plata."

• Keynote Speaker, Programa de Pós-Graduação em História da Universidade Federal do Amapá (PPGH/Unifap), Grupo de Estudos Coloniais Amazônicos - Gescam, Macapá, Brazil (March 2024)
"Repensando as fronteiras Tupi-Guarani na América colonial (XVI-XVII)."

• Lecture, Programa de Pós-Graduação em História da Universidade Federal do Amapá (PPGH/Unifap), Macapá, Brazil (March 2024)
"Pueblos amerindios esclavizados en los imperios ibéricos de la edad moderna temprana."

• Paper Presentation, Seminario Transcribir América: escrituras periféricas, Universidad de Sevilla, Archivo General de Indias, España (October 2023)
"Mapear las lenguas amerindias en la época colonial. Un enfoque Google Earth en la John Carter Brown Library."

• Keynote Speaker, Instituto de Estudos Avançados da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil (September 2023)
"Decolonizar na História de 'Indígenas de Papel' y Protagonizar Agentes Indígenas en la Frontera de la América Hispanica y Portuguesa (Siglos XVI-XVII)."

• Conference Presentation, Archivo Nacional de Asunción, Asunción, Paraguay (July 2023)
"Pensar la Historia indígena desde los archivos siglos XVI-XVIII."

• Conference Presentation, Museo Etnográfico Andrés Barbero, Asunción, Paraguay (July 2023)
"La espiritualidad indígena y sus dimensiones materiales - Guaraníes y chaquenses en los siglos XVI-XVIII." Paper title: "Profetismo y protagonismo guarani y sus materialidades en el Río de la Plata colonial (siglos XVI-XVII)."

• Paper Presentation, Coloquio Relecturas del Fracaso - Comunidades, género, raza y lengua en perspectiva histórica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México (January 2023)
"¿Añêmboobayâ, hagome su cuñado? Perspectiva decolonial del mestizaje en el Paraguay colonial temprano (siglos XVI-XVII)."

• Seminar Presentation, L'École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS), Paris, France (June 2022)
"Historia de la traducción y de la interpretación de las lenguas autóctonas en el Imperio hispánico." Paper title: "Transcrire et traduire le guarani au 16e siècle: la re-sémantisation des mots et concepts guaranis par les Jésuites."

• Keynote Speaker, Instituto de Estudos Avançados da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil (March 2022)
"Aprender Escutando e Caminhando - Bartomeu Melià e sua Metodologia para se Aproximar da Língua, da Cultura e da História dos Guarani."

• Seminar Presentation, Université de Guyane, Cayenne, France (February 2022)
"Frontières, circulations, interculturalités et interactions Hommes-Milieux." Paper title: "Construire et déconstruire les frontières américaines à l'époque coloniale – Le cas des espaces Tupi-Guarani."

• Paper Presentation, Seminario Transcribir América, Université de Poitiers, France (November 2021)
"Transcribir el Paraguay del siglo XVI: Los Faler y Farel en el Río de la Plata."

• Paper Presentation, Sexto Seminario Internacional sobre traducción, terminología y diversidad lingüística, Instituto Técnico Superior de Estudios Culturales y Lingüísticos Yvy Marãe'y, San Lorenzo, Paraguay (October 2021)
"Transcribir y traducir palabras y conceptos guaraníes en el siglo XVI."

• Keynote Speaker, Conversatorio Internacional "Desafíos de los intérpretes y traductores en idiomas indígenas en contextos de la conquista y evangelización: Experiencias del Sur," Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC), Lima, Perú (October 2021)
"Desafíos del traductor e intérprete respecto a la evangelización de los pueblos guaraníes en el contexto colonial."

• Paper Presentation, XL Encuentro de Geohistoria Regional, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (UNNE), Resistencia, Argentina (September 2021)
"Pueblos indígenas y sociedad de conquista del Paraguay – Deconstruir la teoría del cuñadasgo."

• Paper Presentation, Green Hispanisms Conference, Swansea University, UK (July 2021)
"Delimitar el espacio y las fronteras en el Paraguay del siglo XVI – Las implicancias del medio ambiente."

• Workshop Paper, Redes y escalas de circulación de conocimientos en la Compañía de Jesús en su proyecto global. Siglos XVI-XVIII, Universidade de Évora, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Portugal-Argentina (June 2021)
"Reflexiones sobre redes, intercambios y conceptos lingüísticos entre la Compañía de Jesús y los otros actores coloniales en los territorios ultramarinos ibéricos de la Cuenca del Plata (Siglos XVI-XVII)."

• Paper Presentation, Intercambios, representaciones y resistencias en el mundo afrohispanoamericano, Université de La Réunion, France (June 2021)
"La primera revuelta de los esclavos en la conquista del Paraguay - Libertad, insumisión y proyecto político de las poblaciones africanas y amerindias (Río de la Plata, siglo XVI)."

• Paper Presentation, Third International Symposium on Indigenous Languages and Cultures of Latin America, The University of Georgia Latin American and Caribbean Studies Institute, USA (March 2021)
"Palabras y conceptos guaraníes en los documentos para una etnohistoria de los primeros tiempos de la colonia del Paraguay."

• Lecture, Núcleo de estudos ameríndios, UNISINOS, São Leopoldo, Brazil (November 2020)
"Las mujeres indígenas en la conquista del Paraguay: una actualización crítica."

• Workshop Presentation, Constellations, John Carter Brown Library, Providence, RI, USA (November 2020)
"Jasy-luna, conocimientos y cosmogonía tupi-guaraníes en los libros y manuscritos de la JCB."

• Paper Presentation, XVI Seminario de Historiografía de Xalapa, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, México (November 2020)
"Conexiones americanas durante la conquista - Nueva España y el Río de la Plata en el siglo XVI."

• Lecture, Centre for the Study of Religion and Politics seminar, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK (October 2020)
"Evangelising Indigenous People in 16th century Paraguay: Clergy's Testimonies, Strategies, and Difficulties."

• Lecture, Centro de Investigaciones de Historia Social del Paraguay (CIHSP), Asunción, Paraguay (September 2020)
"Actores subalternos: ¿Los protagonistas de la sociedad de conquista en Paraguay?"

• Paper Presentation, GEMELA (Grupo de Estudios sobre la Mujer en España y las Américas pre-1800) Virtual Symposium (March 2020)
"Mujeres enamoradas in the conquest of Paraguay (16th c.)."

• Keynote Speaker, 11th Rio de la Plata Workshop, William & Mary College, Williamsburg, USA (February 2020)
"Decolonising the First History of the Rio de la Plata? Alejo Garcia in the Ruy Diaz de Guzman's Manuscripts and the 16th Century Archives."

• Paper Presentation, III Congresso Internacional Mundos Indígenas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal; Université Sorbonne-Nouvelle Paris III, Paris, France (February 2019)
"¿Repensar el pasado de los invisibles? Historia de los pueblos indígenas del Paraguay."

• Paper Presentation, II International Conference on Bartolomé de Las Casas, Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island, USA (July 2019)
"Evangelisation of the Indigenous People of Paraguay (16th century)."

• Lecture, Conversatorio Construir una Historia de los pueblos indígenas - El papel de los Archivos, Archivo Nacional, Asunción, Paraguay (May 2019)
"¿Los pueblos indígenas: protagonistas de la historia de la conquista del Paraguay?"

• Lecture, II Cátedra de Historia Social "Cuentan los pueblos que...", Universidad Católica Nuestra Señora de Asunción, Paraguay (April 2019)
"La ciudad de Quyquyhó en los documentos del siglo XVI."

• Lecture, Conversatorio El Año de las lenguas indígenas en Paraguay, Museo Etnográfico Doctor Andrés Barbero, Asunción, Paraguay (April 2019)
"Lenguas y pueblos tupí-guaraníes en las fuentes del siglo XVI."

• Paper Presentation, XXXVIII Encuentro de Geohistoria Regional, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Argentina (September 2018)
"Las deportaciones indígenas en el Paraguay (siglo XVI)."

• Lecture, Seminario Historia del Paraguay: Nuevas Perspectivas, Facultad de Filosofía y Ciencias Humanas, Universidad Católica de Asunción, Paraguay (June 2018)
"Historia conectada en el Paraguay (siglo XVI)."

• Lecture, Seminario El Trabajo en Paraguay, Centro Cultural Juan de Salazar, Asunción, Paraguay (May 2018)
"Mujeres enamoradas en el Paraguay - Prostitución y sociedad de conquista (Siglo XVI)."

• Paper Presentation, 9th Rio de la Plata Workshop, William and Mary College, Williamsburg, USA (March 2018)
"Paraguay and Iberian empires Contacts, connexions and migrations (1538-1575)."

• Lecture, International Congress Las Conquistas de las Américas - Experiencias Comparadas desde la Periferia, Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e Historia - ICANH, Bogotá, Colombia (November 2017)
"Las deportaciones indígenas en la ciudad de Asunción (Siglo XVI)."

• Lecture, Jornadas de Investigación La esclavitud en el Paraguay, Centro de Investigaciones de Historia Social del Paraguay - CIHSP, Archivo Nacional de Asunción, Asunción, Paraguay (October 2017)
"Los esclavos en la conquista del Paraguay (Siglo XVI)."

• Paper Presentation, XIII Jornadas Internacionales de Estudios de las Monarquías Ibéricas, Red Columnaria, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (September 2017)
"Actores indígenas en la construcción de fronteras en la Cuenca del Plata (Siglo XVI)."

• Paper Presentation, II Congresso Internacional de Estudos Históricos Latino-americanos – II CI-EHILA, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (September 2017)
"La Compañía de Jesús y el Paraguay en el siglo XVI: En los orígenes del proyecto Paraquaria."

• Paper Presentation, Paraguay at the Crossroads Conference, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA (August 2017)
"Paraguay connected (1553-1575)."

• Paper Presentation, Octavo Simposio Internacional de Humanidades, Universidad del Norte, Asunción, Paraguay (August 2017)
"La producción literaria del clero en el Paraguay de la conquista."

• Paper Presentation, International Colloquium De la fabrique locale des empires: Pratiques de l'altérité et constructions politiques. Afrique, Amérique, Europe (XVIe-XVIIe siècle), Casa de Velázquez, Madrid, España (April 2017)
"La provincia del Paraguay entre 1537 y 1580 - Una frontera entre imperios y generaciones."

• Paper Presentation, Southwest Seminar 2016, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA (October 2016)
"Paraguay connected (1553-1575)."

• Paper Presentation, The Bartolomé de Las Casas Conference, Providence College, Providence, USA (October 2016)
"¿Martín González, discípulo o imitador? Influencias del discurso lascasiano en la Provincia del Paraguay (siglo XVI)."

• Paper Presentation, International Congress of Latin American Studies Association - LASA, New York, USA (May 2016)
"Conexiones coloniales y resemantización de palabras y conceptos clave de la cultura guaraní en el Paraguay (siglos XVI-XXI)."

• Paper Presentation, International Congress of Latin American Studies Association LASA 2015, San Juan, Puerto Rico (May 2015)
"La conquista del Paraguay o la pauperización del indio y del conquistador. Marginalidad, precariedad y middle ground en el Paraguay de la conquista 1526-1575."

• Lecture, Seminar of the Centre de Recherches en Histoire Internationale et Atlantique (CRHIA), Université de Nantes, Nantes, France (March 2015)
"La mala entrada, une expédition vers la désillusion (1548-1549)."

• Lecture, Seminar of the Centro de Estudios Coloniales Iberoamericanos, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA (April 2014)
"Lenguas y pueblos tupí-guaraníes en las fuentes del siglo XVI."

• Paper Presentation, International Colloquium Women in the Americas, Institut des Amériques, Aix-Marseille Université, Aix-en-Provence, France (December 2013)
"Las mujeres indígenas en la conquista del Paraguay entre 1541 y 1575."

• Paper Presentation, International Colloquium Las tierras bajas, Universidad Gabriel René Moreno, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia (October 2013)
"La fundación de Santa Cruz de la Sierra o la creación de un puente entre dos mundos."

• Lecture, Seminar of the History department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil (November 2013)
"El Paraguay de la conquista (siglo XVI)."

• Paper Presentation, 1st International Colloquium of the Architecture School at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Casa de Velázquez, Museo de América, Red Iberoamericana del urbanismo colonial, Madrid, Spain (November 2012)
"El fuerte de Buenos Aires en 1541: entre despoblación y destrucción."

• Paper Presentation, International Colloquium Les langues générales de l'Amérique du Sud (XVIe-XIXe siècles), ANR LANGAS, INALCO, Paris, France (October 2012)
"Primeras descripciones de la situación lingüística del Paraguay (XVI)."

• Paper Presentation, International Colloquium Amitiés le cas des mondes américains, Université de La Rochelle, La Rochelle, France (October 2012)
"Los indios amigos: clé de la réussite de la conquête du Paraguay?"

• Paper Presentation, International Congress Construyendo Diálogos en las Américas, ICA, University of Vienna, Austria (July 2012)
"Las deportaciones indígenas en la conquista del Paraguay entre 1558 y 1575."

• Lecture, Seminar of the History department (SHAC), Université de Reims, Reims, France (March 2012)
"La réception des chrétiens par les Xarayes: l'imagination d'un conquistador au service de la création d'un mythe."

• Paper Presentation, International Colloquium Découvertes et (re)-découvertes des Amériques, Groupe de Recherches Identités et Cultures (GRIC), Université du Havre, Le Havre, France (December 2011)
"Entre nature hostile, cannibalisme et trahisons: comment survivre au Paraguay au temps de la conquête?"

• Lecture, Museo Roca, Buenos Aires, Argentina (November 2011)
"El padre Martín González en la conquista del Río de la Plata: un estudio de sus cartas escritas entre 1558 y 1575."

• Seminar Presentation, Graduate School ED 122 Sorbonne-Nouvelle Paris III University, Paris, France (November 2011)
"De cannibale à Général, représentations singulières des indiens du Rio de la Plata au temps de la conquête."

• Seminar Presentation, Seminar 'Historiografía rioplatense', Université Diderot Paris 7, Paris, France (October 2010)
"Del cronista al historiador, un viaje historiográfico a través del estudio de la noche de San Marcos."

• Lecture, Universidad Católica Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, Asunción, Paraguay (April 2011)
"El padre Martín González y la conquista del Paraguay."

• Lecture, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Asunción, Paraguay (April 2011)
"La peregrinación del padre Martín González a través del estudio de sus cartas escritas entre 1557 y 1575."

• Lecture, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Asunción, Paraguay (August 2009)
"Domingo Martínez de Irala, un protagonista de la conquista del Paraguay entre 1537 y 1556."

Committees and reviewing

• Postdoctoral Research Project Evaluator, European Research Executive Agency (October 2025-January 2026)
Expert contract for the HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF call, evaluating Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions postdoctoral fellowship proposals.

• Scientific Consultant, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay (2024)
Consulting for the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay, the National Secretary of Culture, and INTERPOL Paraguay on the repatriation of patrimonial Paraguayan heritage.

• Film and Documentary Consultant (2024)
Film and documentary consultant for "Nos Estávamos ali."

• Ph.D. Project Evaluator, Université de Liège (March 2024)
External evaluation of Lionel Mira's Ph.D. dissertation project, Les acteurs muets de l'évangélisation. Circulations matérielles entre le Paraguay et l'Europe (XVIIe-XVIIIe siècles), Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique - FNRS, Belgium.

• Editorial Committee Member, Desde el Archivo - Kuatiá Renda (October 2023-Present)
Founder member and member of the Editorial Committee of the Scientific Journal of the National Archives of Paraguay.

• Committee Member, UK branch of the Latin American Studies Association (UKLAH) (June 2023-Present)
Elected member of the UKLAH Committee.

• Ph.D. Project Evaluator, Université de Liège (March 2023)
External evaluation of Lionel Mira's Ph.D. dissertation project, La procuration jésuite du Paraguay entre l'Amérique et l'Europe (1608-1767), Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique - FNRS, Belgium.

• MA Thesis Evaluator, Universidad Autónoma "Benito Juárez" de Oaxaca (June 2022-February 2023)
External evaluation of Gaudencio Rodríguez Muñoz's MA dissertation El proceso de traducción de documentos coloniales y su complejidad, un estudio de traducción de tres testamentos coloniales escritos en Mixteco del siglo XVIII, Facultad de Idiomas, Oaxaca, Mexico.

• Communications Committee Member, Colonial Section of LASA (January 2022-Present)
Member of the Communications Committee of the Colonial Section of the Latin American Studies Association.

• Ph.D. Thesis Evaluator, UIT The Arctic University of Norway (May 2020)
External evaluation of Roxana Sarion's Ph.D. dissertation Conversión de Píritu (1690) de Matías Ruiz Blanco. Una obra misionera en el contexto fronterizo del oriente venezolano (siglo XVII), Department of Language and Culture, Tromsø, Norway.

• Scientific Consultant, V-Dem Project (2014-Present)
Scientific consultant for the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) project, a collaborative initiative between Göteborg University (Sweden), Kellogg Institute of Notre Dame University (USA), Lund University (Sweden), and Boston University (USA).

• Peer Reviewer for Academic Journals
Ongoing peer review activities for multiple prestigious journals, including:

• Hispanic American Historical Review (Duke University, USA)
• Mélanges de la Casa de Velázquez (Madrid, Spain)
• Revista Bibliographica (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
• Revista Chilena de Antropología (Universidad de Chile)
• Cahier des Amériques Latines (Institut des Hautes Études de l'Amérique latine, France)
• Autoctonía. Revista de Ciencias Sociales e Historia (Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Chile)
• Estudos Ibero-Americanos (PUCRS, Brazil)
• Revista da ANPHLAC (Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil)
• Revista História da historiografia (UNIRIO and UFOP, Brazil)
• Memoria Americana (Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina)
• Americanía: Revista de Estudios Latinoamericanos (Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Spain)
• Revista Historia de América (Instituto Panamericano de Geografía e Historia, Mexico)

• Peer Reviewer for Academic Publishers

• Brill Academic Publishers (The Netherlands)
• Las Lenguas Indígenas en los tribunales de América Latina (Instituto Colombiano de Antropología y de Historia-ICANH, 2019)