Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence
This line of research seeks to document, analyze and theorize the practices of radicalization and political and ethnic violence that occur in the country. It also analyzes the ways and mechanisms adopted by the State to address such violence, in consideration of international standards regarding the quality of the rule of law, democracy, and respect for human rights.
In relation to public organizations, the roles of the police and the armed forces, the Judiciary, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Public Criminal Defense Office, the Gendarmerie, the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security, the Undersecretariat for Human Rights, the Children Ombudsman Office, the National Human Rights Institute, among other agencies, are investigated. It also identifies best practices and deficiencies identified in the human rights training of state officials.
Additionally, it addresses the experiences of victimization of indigenous peoples and minorities for human rights violations, and the processes of (violent) political and ethnic radicalization, and how these coexist and eventually come into tension with other forms of political participation and expressions of democratic citizenship.
RESEARCH PROJECTS 2025
Violent Repertoires of Collective Action: Memories, Presents, and Politicization in the Margins
This research addresses violent repertoires of collective action in contexts of mobilization through bibliographic research, ethnography, and interviews with protest actors.
Researchers: Alicia Olivari and Damián Martínez
Critical Analysis of Convictions for Torture in Chile
This study will analyze all convictions for torture since 2016, when the legislative amendment on these crimes was incorporated. Through discourse analysis, these convictions will be examined to identify criteria, interpretive problems, and possible biases by the courts when sentencing for torture.
Researchers: José Manuel Fernández, Hugo Rojas, Claudio Quintana, and Rishi Kalaga.
Oral History and Reparation in Mapuche Communities Affected by Land Claims
Research focused on the oral history and reparation of the Contreras Mapuche community (Traiguén). Its purpose is to produce an oral and photographic history book that seeks to highlight the historical memory of the territory and academic articles focused on memory, evidence, reparation, and collaborative historiography.
Researchers: Piergiorgio Di Giminiani and Antu Quintulen.
Ethnographic Documentary Series “Fragments of the Uprising”
A documentary series of 5 episodes filmed mainly during 2021 and 2022 on different topics related to the 2019 social uprising. This series seeks to combine audiovisual tools and ethnographic methodology to raise awareness of the social uprising inside and outside of Chile through a reflexive and collaborative approach that can provide space for debate and co-creation.
Researcher: Damián Martínez
National Liberation: The Other Mapuche Political Path
This research examines the history of the Mapuche movement between 1970 and 2020, analyzing how its ideas of self-determination are related to the global ties, connections, and alliances, especially in Latin America and Europe, that the Mapuche have forged from early times in their history, such as Indigenism of the 20th century and Indianism after 1970. The study observes that the Mapuche movement has cultivated relationships with foreign self-determination movements and how, during the last two decades, these relationships have impacted new forms of governance and political proposals. It also, as an unexpected development, examines how globalization has determined the insertion of Indigenous territories into irregular economies, such as the sale of wood, through different markets that have contributed to boosting the radicalization of the Mapuche conflict.
Researchers: Fernando Pairican and Camila Varas
Practices of Citizen Participation and Intergenerational Dialogue in Municipal Councils for Children and Adolescents
This project studies how Municipal Councils for Children and Adolescents in Chile promote children’s political participation, recognizing childhood as a subject of rights. It analyzes their practices, intergenerational tensions, and potential to strengthen inclusive citizenship from an early age.
Researcher: Gabriela Piña
Sociolegal Studies: Broadening the Horizons of Legal Studies to Meet Professional Needs in Complex Societies
This project aims to strengthen international research and teaching networks in the socio-legal field. Its purpose is to rethink legal education from an interdisciplinary and situated perspective, articulating links between law, the social sciences, and contemporary challenges.
Researcher: Loreto Quiroz
Transitional Justice in Established Democracies and Indigenous Peoples 2023-2025
This research explores the recent use of transitional justice mechanisms for non-transitional cases, especially to address historical injustices against Indigenous peoples.
Researchers: Hugo Rojas, Salvador Millaleo, and Miriam Shaftoe
Audiovisual Imaginaries of Human Rights and Violent Democracy in Chile 2024-present
This is an analysis of how the transformation of Chilean democracy toward traits of a violent democracy is manifested in the imaginaries of Chilean film and TV fiction of the last decade, within the framework of the Law and Film research field.
Researchers: Salvador Millaleo and Loreto Quiroz
Ya Egresaron
Criminal Violence and Urban Insecurity, Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence
Diego Sazo
PhD in Political Science from the London School of Economics (United Kingdom). He graduated with the dissertation “The Violent Disconnection: The Logic of Protest Violence in Contemporary Latin America.” He was a fellow of the National Research and Development Agency (ANID) (Chile) and his fieldwork was supported by the Sir Patrick Gillam Scholarship Fund (United Kingdom).
Political Scientist from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and Master of Arts in Political Science from the London School of Economics.
Contacto
diesazo@gmail.com
Investigador Asociado
Structural Violence and Discrimination, Criminal Violence and Urban Insecurity, Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence
Ángel Aedo
Associate Researcher /Director
Director and principal researcher of VioDemos. Professor at the School of Anthropology of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, researcher at the Center for Justice and Society Studies at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, the Center for Intercultural and Indigenous Studies (CIIR) and the Millennium Nucleus Criminal Complexity. He trained as an Anthropologist at the National School of Anthropology and History of Mexico and obtained his PhD in Social Anthropology and Ethnology from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris.
Contacto
jaedog@uc.cl
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence, Structural Violence and Discrimination
Andrés Kalawski
VioDemos Principal Researcher. Professor at the School of Theater of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Part of the team of the Fondecyt project “After Harm: Interdisciplinary explorations of reparation initiatives in post dictatorship Chile” (2023-2026).
Contacto
akalawski@uc.cl
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence, Structural Violence and Discrimination
Marcela Cornejo
VioDemos Principal Researcher.Professor at the School of Psychology of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Co-directs the research project “Dictatorship, theatrical scene and 50 years: dramaturgies, memories, stories”.
Contacto
marcela@uc.cl
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence, Structural Violence and Discrimination
Oriana Bernasconi
VioDemos Principal Researcher. Associate Professor, appointment shared between the Institute of Applied Ethics and the Center for Dialogue and Peace of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Director of the Millennium Nucleus “Research in production and state use of data on severe human rights violations – Data Justa” and researcher of the Fondecyt Regular project “Knowledge Infrastructures and State Intervention Regimes: a Latin American study of the National Search Plans for Detained and Disappeared Persons”.
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Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence, Structural Violence and Discrimination
Rodrigo Mardones
VioDemos Principal Researcher. Professor at the Institute of Political Science of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Associate Researcher at the Center for the Study of Policies and Practices in Education (CEPPE UC).
Contacto
rmardonesz@uc.cl
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence, Criminal Violence and Urban Insecurity
Salvador Millaleo
VioDemos Principal Researcher. Assistant professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Chile and researcher at the Human Rights Center of the same university.
Contacto
smillaleo@derecho.uchile.cl
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence, Structural Violence and Discrimination
Manuela Badilla
Assistant Professor at the School of Psychology of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile . She leads the Fondecyt Initiation project “Narratives, repertoires and narco memories in contemporary Chile: New struggles for space in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods” (2025-2028).
Contacto
manuela.badilla@uc.cl
Investigador Adjunto
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence, Structural Violence and Discrimination
Marjorie Murray
Coordinator
Associate Professor of the School of Anthropology, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile). She leads the Fondecyt Regular project “Changing Subjectivities, Intimacies in Tension: An Ethnography of Adult Women in Santiago” (2025-2028).
Contacto
mmurray@uc.cl
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence, Structural Violence and Discrimination
Piergiorgio de Giminiani
VioDemos Associate Researcher. Associate Professor at the School of Anthropology of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, principal investigator of the Centro de Estudios Interculturales e Indígenas CIIR and co-investigator of the Fondecyt project “After Harm: Interdisciplinary explorations of reparation initiatives in post dictatorship Chile” (2023-2026).
Contacto
pdigiminia@uc.cl
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence, Structural Violence and Discrimination
Damián Martínez
VioDemos Associate Researcher. Professor of the Department of Sociology at the University of Granada.
Contacto
damian.martinez@viodemos.cl
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence, Criminal Violence and Urban Insecurity
Fernando Pairican
VioDemos Associate Researcher. Professor at the School of Anthropology of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and researcher at the Centro de Estudios Interculturales e Indígenas CIIR. He directs the Mapuche Thought Collection of Editorial Pehuen.
Contacto
fernando.pairican@uc.cl
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence, Structural Violence and Discrimination
José Manuel Fernández
VioDemos principal researcher. Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law of the Universidad Alberto Hurtado and Researcher responsible for the Regular Foundation Project “Criminal types of domestic violence: Are they consistent with the requirement that criminal liability is personal?” (2025-2028).
Contacto
jmfernandez@uahurtado.cl
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence, Structural Violence and Discrimination
Paula Alonqueo
VioDemos Research Associate. Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of La Frontera.
Contacto
paula.alonqueo@ufrontera.cl
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence, Criminal Violence and Urban Insecurity
Carla Alberti
VioDemos young researcher. Assistant Professor at the Institute of Political Science of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, researcher at the Instituto Milenio Fundamentos de los Datos, researcher of the Fondecyt Regular “Local Crime and Electoral Politics: Assessing the Impact on Incumbent and Challengers” and co-investigator of the Fondecyt Regular project “Women in Local Politics: Spending Patterns, Policy Outcomes, and Citizen Evaluation”
Contacto
caalbert@uc.cl
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence, Structural Violence and Discrimination
(Español) Fabien Le Bonniec
(Español) Profesor Asociado del Departamento de Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad de La Frontera. Antropólogo e investigador principal del proyecto Fondecyt Regular “Hacia una antropología de las injusticias en el sur de Chile”.
Contacto
fabien.lebonniec@ufrontera.cl
Criminal Violence and Urban Insecurity, Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence
(Español) Marcela Tapia Ladino
(Español) Profesora titular de la Facultad de Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad de Tarapacá (Sede Iquique).
Contacto
matapial@academicos.uta.cl
Investigadores Jóvenes
Structural Violence and Discrimination, Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence
Gabriela Piña
VioDemos young researcher. Professor at the School of Education of the Universidad Mayor and adjunct researcher at the Center for Intercultural and Indigenous Studies CIIR. Co-investigator of the Regular Fondecyt project “Changing subjectivities, intimacies in tension: An ethnography of adult women in Santiago” (2025-2028).
Contacto
gabriela.pina@umayor.cl
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence
Valentina Infante
(Español) Licenciada en Historia de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Magíster en Estudios de Patrimonio Cultural de University College London y Doctora en Sociología de University of Oxford.
Contacto
valentina.infante@viodemos.cl
Structural Violence and Discrimination, Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence
Alicia Olivari
Young researcher at VioDemos. Professor at the School of Psychology of the Academia de Humanismo Cristiano University. PhD in Social Anthropology and Master’s in Anthropology and Ethnography from the University of Barcelona, and psychologist from the University of Chile. ANID postdoctoral researcher (2022-2025) sponsored by the UC School of Anthropology.
Contacto
alicia.olivari@viodemos.cl
Investigador Postdoctoral
Structural Violence and Discrimination, Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence
Catalina Mansilla
VioDemos Potdoctoral researcher and at the Faculty of Law of the Universidad Alberto Hurtado. Her research career has focused on working with Aymara groups and communities in northern Chile since 2014.
Contacto
camansilla@uahurtado.cl
Investigadores Senior
Criminal Violence and Urban Insecurity, Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence
Helene Risor
Senior Researcher VioDemos. Associate Professor at the Department of Anthropology of the University of Copenhagen. Principal researcher at the Fondecyt project “After Harm: Interdisciplinary explorations of reparation initiatives in post dictatorship Chile” (2023-2026) and coordinator of the Latin American Social School on Social Issues LASI.
Contacto
hrisor@uc.cl
Criminal Violence and Urban Insecurity, Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence
Hugo Rojas
Ph.D. in Sociology from University of Oxford, M.Sc. in Law, Anthropology and Society from the London School of Economics. Lecturer in Sociology of Law at Alberto Hurtado University School of Law. Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Political Science, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Also, researcher at the Interdisciplinary Research Program on Memory and Human Rights and the Interdisciplinary Center on Public Policy, both at the Alberto Hurtado University.
Contacto
hurojas@uahurtado.cl
Structural Violence and Discrimination, Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence
Milena Grass
Senior Researcher al VioDemos. Professor at the School of Theatre UC and Vice President of the International Federation for Theatre Research.
Contacto
mgrass@uc.cl
Investigadores colaboradores/as
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence, Structural Violence and Discrimination
(Español) Marisol Verdugo Paiva
(Español) Profesora y Secretaria Académica de la Escuela de Antropología de la Universidad Diego Portales. Doctora en Antropología Social por la University of Manchester, Reino Unido.
Contacto
marisol.verdugo@udp.cl
Structural Violence and Discrimination, Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence
Joaquín Rozas
PhD in Political and Social Sciences from Pompeu Fabra University. He earned his degree with the dissertation “Dealing with the Intermediation Crisis: The Political Outcomes of Collective Action in Chile.”
Contacto
joaquinrozas@udec.cl
Estudiantes de Doctorado
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence
María Graciela Acuña
VioDemos PhD student. B.A. in History with mention in Cultural Studies, Universidad Academia de Humanismo Cristiano. Master in History from the University of Chile. D. student in Sociology at the Universidad Alberto Hurtado.
Contacto
graciela.acuna@viodemos.cl
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence
Wladimir Martínez
VioDemos Ph D. student. Anthropologist from the Catholic University of Temuco and Master in Anthropology from the same university. D. student in Anthropology at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Contacto
wladimir.martinez@viodemos.cl
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence
Abel Guerra
Psychologist from the University of Valparaíso and Master of Advanced Studies in Social and Cultural Anthropology from the Complutense University of Madrid, he is currently a PhD student in Psychology at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and a fellow of the Chilean National Research and Development Agency (ANID).
Contacto
anguerra@uc.cl
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence, Criminal Violence and Urban Insecurity
Pascual Cortés
VioDemos PhD candidate. Lawyer from the Universidad de Chile, Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). PhD candidate in Law at the same university.
Contacto
p.cortes@lse.ac.uk
Political, Ethnical and Radicalization Violence
Katherine González
VioDemos PhD student. Psychologist from Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (El Salvador) and Master in Sociology from Universidad Alberto Hurtado. Phd. student in Anthropology at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Fellow of the National Agency for Research and Development ANID. With experience in psychosocial accompaniment to people and communities affected by violence.
Contacto
katherine.gonzalez@viodemos.cl
