The Conference on Latin American History (CLAH) has followed with deep concern the case of two historians on the faculty of Rutgers University, Mark Bray and his partner Yesenia Barragan, the latter a member of the CLAH, who were forced to flee the United States this week with their young children due to violent threats they received on account of Bray’s work on the history of fascism and anti-fascism.

As scholars of Latin America, we recognize these dynamics from the region’s history of authoritarianism. We recognize the chilling effect that these threats to academic freedom have on our ability to impart knowledge, mentor students, and continue to nourish new generations of creative thinkers and builders of healthy societies and polities. When studying and teaching about authoritarianism, fascism, and antifascism is cause for persecution, we have entered a truly dangerous moment where all thinking people, and our democracy, are in grave danger.

We unequivocally support the freedom of scholars to research and teach in their areas of expertise, even if what they say may challenge the ideology of a country’s current leadership. We call on the academic community to speak out in support of Bray and Barragan, as well all scholars, teachers, and researchers, in their right to exercise free speech free of intimidation. We commend Rutgers University for the support that it has given to these two faculty members and call on other academic institutions to redouble their efforts to protect the freedom of scholars to impart knowledge in their fields of expertise.