Fernanda Cabezas Astorga
Ph.D. Student, Political Science Department
Graduate Research Associate, Program on Latin America and the Caribbean
Bio
Fernanda Cabezas is a Ph.D. student in political science at the Maxwell School. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in economics from the Catholic University of Chile and a master's degree in peacebuilding and conflict resolution from the Heller School.
Fernanda’s work focuses on conflict and violence in Latin America, with extensive experience in organizations such as the Chilean Ministry of Environment, The International Studies Center (INTE), J-PAL Latin America,and Everyday Peace Indicators (EPI).
She has contributed to program evaluations examining peace and conflict dynamics in Latin America, with a particular focus on grassroots perceptions of peace in conflict-affected communities in Colombia. Building on this work, her future research agenda centers on organized crime and state capture, with an emphasis on how local governance and enforcement dynamics shape patterns of violence and cooperation.
Fernanda has conducted fieldwork and research in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia. In addition to her work in Latin America, Fernanda has also worked with the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) on the South Sudan Peace Operation.
Research Interests
Organized crime in Latin America, perceptions of peace/security in conflict-affected communities, qualitative research methods in conflict zones