Natural Disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean

June Carolyn Erlick is the editor-in-chief of ReVista, the Harvard Review of Latin America and publications director at Harvard’s David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies. She is the author of five books, including Telenovelas in Pan-Latino Context (Routledge, 2018). She teaches journalism at Harvard Extension School.

Natural Disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean shows us that the consequences of natural disasters—from the Baru Volcano in 7th century Panama to recent disasters in Chile, Haiti, and Puerto Rico—extend far beyond bricks and morter. . . . Writing with both tenderness and sharp insight, Erlick reminds us that in unequal societies, natural disasters invariably hit the poor hardest. It is thus imperative that we hear the voices of the most vulnerable. That insight has never been more relevant. Natural Disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean isn’t about the COVID-19 crisis in Latin America, but it offers a powerful lens through which to understand it—and lessons for those seeking better ways of responding to it.Steven Levitsky, David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and Professor of Government, Harvard University, USAConsummate journalist, erudite social scientist, intrepid explorer and Latin American expert, June Carolyn Erlick has the perfect skill set to write a profound and highly engaging book about the complex legacy of natural disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean. With admirable clarity and impressive, interdisciplinary expertise, she weaves a gripping story about the intertwined impact of climate change and social governance on affected populations, laying bare with cogent analysis, how 'natural' disasters are anything but 'natural', and how social inequities not chance determine the impact of calamities. This book deserves a wide readership: with urgency and intelligence, it speaks to constituencies interested in social justice, environmental harm, Latin American history and politics, and the deep interconnections that underpin our common humanity. Jacqueline Bhabha, Professor of the Practice of Health and Human Rights, Harvard University, USA

• 1. Writing Natural Disasters: An Overview 2 Civil Tsunamis and Humanitarian Aid: A Test for Governance 3. Trauma and Collective Memory: A Flood of Emotions 4. Immigration and Diaspora: A Torrent of Dreams 5. Preparation and Recovery in Chile and Cuba: Fissures 6. Lessons and More Fissures: Mexico and Haiti