Andrea Oñate-Madrazo

Andrea Oñate-Madrazo is an Assistant Professor in the History Department at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), part of the College of Liberal Arts. Her expertise lies in modern Latin America, with a focus on Cold War history, transnational dynamics, social movements, and human rights. She holds a Ph.D. and MA from Princeton University and a BA from New York University.

Her research employs a transnational lens to study political violence, conflict resolution, and the interplay between local and global forces in Central America. Her acclaimed dissertation, Insurgent Diplomacy: the internationalized revolution of El Salvador and the transition to a post-Cold War order, 1979-1992, uses multi-archival sources and interviews to analyze the Salvadoran Civil War's global dimensions. This work highlights how international actors influenced regional conflicts and how local factions navigated geopolitical tensions.

Teaching includes courses on comparative social movements, world history, modern Latin America, and human rights. Recent publications explore Mexican Cold War dynamics, Central American diplomatic history, and revolutionary movements. Her work emphasizes Latin America's role in shaping global processes amid socioeconomic inequality and institutional fragility.

Research interests extend to post-conflict transitions, non-state actors in international relations, and the legacies of authoritarian regimes. No awards are explicitly listed, though her scholarly contributions indicate significant recognition in the field.