Carlos Olmedo

Research interests

My primary research interest lies in the social and politico-institutional consequences of politically motivated violence. Drawing from existing scholarly research into the micro-dynamics of civil wars, order-making during conflict, and post-war legacies, my thesis examines the persistence of informal sources of order and control that emerge during civil wars to provide a level of stability and predictability in a context otherwise plagued by uncertainty and insecurity, into the post-conflict period. My main goal is to develop an original theoretical framework that integrates the analytical constructs of socialisation and frame analysis to explore the long-lasting effects on local imaginaries and perceptions of order and security resulting from the disruption of social networks, cohesion, and power dynamics at the community level in regions severely affected by war. Guatemala, a nation that underwent a 36-year-long internal war, serves as my empirical focus.  I use evidence from the Guatemalan case to help illustrate my theoretical claims and build my argument. In addition to desk research and interviews, I also rely on archival and documentary secondary data, alongside ‘grey’ literature.

Qualifications

• MA in International Relations (University of Leeds)
• Bachelor’s degree in Law (National University of Asuncion, Paraguay)