Presentation
Although fake news is seen to be a recent invention, the history of Spain is a living example that it has a long tradition. Empires have not been fought only with armies, they have also been fought using lies and defamatory campaigns. The legends and inventions generated in a given moment have the characteristic of floating around the victim as if they were satellites trapped by the force of gravity. And yet they manage to alter the real perception of that country, so that what others see is an ugly and distorted illusion. The Spanish Empire was one of the favourite targets of these campaigns.
The historian Elvira Roca Barea, the philosopher Pedro Insua and the scientist Maarten Larmuseau will dissect the ins and outs of the black legend. From the humanities perspective, Roca Barea and Pedro Insua will set falsehoods aside. From the natural sciencespoint of view, Maarten Larmuseau will dismantle one of the most widespread lies about the Spanish presence in the Netherlands with a genetic study. This collaboration between humanities and sciences is another example of the fact that knowledge is the best ally against fake news.
Programme
10.30 Introduction by Maria Teresa Giménez Barbat MEP
10.40 Maarten Larmuseau: Shared beliefs in genetic ancestry: the Black Legend in the Netherlands”.
11.10 María Elvira Roca Barea & Pedro Insua: The Balkanization of Europe and the Future of the EU
12.10 Debate with the Audience
12.30 Conclusions
Pedro Insua is a Spanish Philosopher. He has published 1492. Españacontra sus fantasmas
Elvira Roca Barea is a Spanish historian. She has published Imperiofobia y la leyenda negra
Maarten Larmuseau is a belgian geneticist and author of 70 scientific studies.
