Andrés León Araya

Andrés León Araya is an Assistant Professor in the Department of International Studies at Indiana University Bloomington, affiliated with the Hamilton Lugar School. His interdisciplinary scholarship bridges political science and anthropology, focusing on Central America, especially Honduras and Costa Rica.

• Department: Department of International Studies
• School: Hamilton Lugar School
• University: Indiana University Bloomington

Education:

• B.A. in Political Science, Universidad de Costa Rica, 2006
• M.Sc. in Political Science, Universidad de Costa Rica, 2008
• Ph.D. in Anthropology, Graduate Center, City University of New York, 2015

Andrés León Araya's research centers on plantation economies, agrarian conflict, state formation, and political violence in Central America. He employs conjunctural analysis and political ecology to understand how historical processes of dispossession, monoculture expansion, and militarization shape contemporary crises. His work draws from both ethnographic and historical methods, revealing the deep roots of exclusion in the region’s political institutions.

His recent publications show a strong thematic focus on monocrops (such as palm oil and pineapple), land grabbing, extractivism, and the intersections between agrarian change and security. Articles like 'Monocrops' (2023) and 'The politics of dispossession in the Honduran palm oil industry' (2019) highlight the political economy of agribusiness and its role in displacing communities. His book The Coup and the Palm Trees (2023) synthesizes these themes, arguing that Honduras’ current instability stems from long-term patterns of violence and exclusion.

Scientific Awards:

• No awards mentioned in the provided text.

Andrés León Araya advises on issues related to agrarian politics and security in Latin America. While no formal students are listed, his collaborative work with scholars like Marc Edelman and María José Guillén indicates active academic mentorship and research partnerships. His current projects explore the links between monoculture agriculture and drug trafficking, as well as the continuity between Cold War counterinsurgency and the current war on drugs. These projects suggest ongoing grant activity or institutional support, though specific funding sources are not disclosed.

There is no mention of specific labs or research teams in the provided text, but his affiliation with the Hamilton Lugar School—a hub for international studies—implies participation in broader research initiatives on global security, development, and regional studies.