“The Necromantic State: Spectral Remains in the Afterglow of Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution” with Author Irina Troconis

Venezuelan author Irina Troconis discusses her book The Necromantic State: Spectral Remains in the Afterglow of Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution (Duke University Press 2025) with Notre Dame doctoral student Alejandro Giraldo Gil. Troconis describes her use of the concept of necromancy to elucidate the legacy and ongoing influence of the Chavez regime in Venezuela. According to the author, the “necromantic state” is the site of collaboration between government and people in conversation with the dead. Tronconis elaborates on her field research process, which began in 2016 and involved visiting sites of memorialization, moments of discovery and “hunting” ghosts, and feeling the sense of being haunted in the process.