Abstract

ABSTRACT This article aims to deepen the understanding of the knowledge that informs the use of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), moving beyond the binarism between theory and methodology. To this end, it introduces Latin American Critical Discourse Analysis (LA-CDA) as a counter-hegemonic methodological framework for discourse research. Drawing on Fairclough’s Social Theory of Discourse and its developments, the study explores a decolonial perspective rooted in Latin America and addresses the colonialities of power, knowledge, and being that permeate discursive practices. LA-CDA is proposed as a tool for social transformation, incorporating concepts such as critical quilombismo and Afro-perspective epistemes. By illustrating its application in academic and social contexts, the article advocates for the importance of plural epistemologies in overcoming dependence on Eurocentric theories. In this light, LA-CDA is conceived as a pathway for deconstructing hierarchies of knowledge and fostering more inclusive analyses that are aligned with local realities and the demands of historically subalternized groups.