Mario L. Chacón is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at New York University, Abu Dhabi. He earned his B.A. and M.A. in Economics from the Universidad de los Andes and M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in Political Science from Yale University.

Professor Chacon studies comparative political economy and development, particularly in Latin American nations. He has published on democracy and on economic opportunities and inequalities in Colombia. Currently, Chacon is working on the rise of armed clientelism in Colombia as a result of the ongoing civil war, as well as the spillover effects of civil conflict.

Representative Publications

Chacón, Mario L. “In the Line of Fire: Political Violence and Decentralization in Colombia.” (2013).

Chacón, Mario, James A. Robinson, and Ragnar Torvik. “When is Democracy an Equilibrium? Theory and Evidence from Colombia’s La Violencia.” Journal of Conflict Resolution 55.3 (2011): 366-396.

Chacón, Mario, and Christopher Paik. “Ballots and Bullets: The Electoral Origin of the Maoist Insurgency in Nepal.” (2017).