Dolor de Patria

The chapter focuses on dolor de patria as a memory-laden affect triggered by political events such as the Colombian plebiscite for peace in 2016 and the presidential elections of 2018. The analysis centers on the unfolding of painful memories of the nation’s past that shape the upper middle class’ outlook on the future in terms of desperation, exasperation, impotence, and rage. My interlocutor’s interpretations of the causes of dolor de patria offer insight into their perspectives on justice and implication. The intersection of affect and memory is outlined through the metaphor of bell-ringing.