On 15 November 2025, our member Joel Moreira had his article Timor-Leste: El Silencio de los Ancestros published in TARPÁN, a Latin American journal that publishes studies on the Euro-Asian space, with a special focus on places with which this region has fewer relations.
In this article, Joel talks about Timor-Leste, focusing on the country’s historical, social and linguistic wealth, which is so much greater than its territorial size. Throughout the article, he discusses the instrumentalisation of languages in Timor-Leste, covering Portuguese colonialism and the Indonesian occupation, and also reflecting on linguistic choices since the restoration of independence.
Joel concludes the article by arguing that a country’s sovereignty is also the protection of its languages, a key part of any nation’s cultural heritage, allowing its people to talk to each other and be heard.
The article is available as an open access publication at the following link: https://tarpan.cl/articulos/timor-leste-el-silencio-de-los-ancestros/