Presence of Juan José Saldaña in the Latin American History of Science as Seen from Colombia (1981–2018)

This paper discusses several episodes in the development of the Social History of Science and Technology in Latin America as seen from Colombia in which the participation of Juan José Saldaña was decisive as president of the Latin American Society for the History of Science, and later as director of the Internet Community for the History of Science in Latin America. Saldaña’s presence is shown to have had an important impact on the institutionalization and professionalization of this field of studies in this country, specifically about problems of interest in the history of science in Latin America. The presentation of these episodes is testimonial and is based on experiences of a close and rich friendship and scientific collaboration between the author and Saldaña, which unfolded for more than 40 years in numerous scientific activities and projects in my country, in the region, and internationally.