Carmen McEvoy is a Peruvian historian and diplomat who has researched the history of her country in considerable depth, particularly the period between the foundation of the republic and the War of the Pacific. McEvoy presents the collection of essays La república agrietada. Ensayos para enfrentar la peste (2021) which puts Peru on the physical and historical map of the world, contemplating the cultural and political background that has made the country what it is today, with all the problems and challenges that the country faces, especially given the current global pandemic. These texts, which include the author’s own views and opinions, offer stimulus for reflection on what it means to live in and understand Peru today. In conversation with Jorge Bedregal.