Camilo Nieto-Matiz
I’m an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Texas at San Antonio.My research examines political violence, criminal governance, and the uneven presence of state institutions in Latin America. In many countries across the region, state authority operates in tension, competition, and strategic alignment with armed organizations–ranging from insurgencies and militias to street gangs and drug cartels. I investigate why some societies experience major outbreaks of violence, how state institutions and armed actors forge coalitions and compete for control, and the political legacies of violence for governance and democracy.
Prior to coming to UTSA, I was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Inter-American Policy and Research (CIPR) at Tulane University. I grew up in Bogotá, Colombia, and also lived in Germany for a few years.
Education
• Ph.D. in Political Science, University of Notre Dame, 2020
• M.A. in Public Policy, Universität Erfurt, 2013
• B.A. in Political Science, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, 2009