How AI Is Helping Latin American Scholars Reclaim Knowledge Long Gatekept by the Global North

A Brazilian woman writing on DEV Community argues that global knowledge systems have long been controlled by institutions in the Global North, systematically sidelining voices and contributions from Latin America. She highlights the case of Dr. Sérgio Henrique Ferreira, a Brazilian scientist whose foundational research on snake venom in the 1960s directly enabled the creation of Captopril, a life-saving ACE inhibitor, yet received little mainstream recognition. The author also challenges the common misconception that Brazilians are not Latina, arguing the term derives from Latin-rooted Romance languages that include Portuguese. She contends that decades of institutional gatekeeping have not only monopolized publishing and funding but have also eroded the self-worth of scholars from the Global South. The piece frames the rise of AI as a potential turning point that could democratize access to knowledge and amplify historically marginalized intellectual voices.