Mariana V. Ramirez Bustamante

Dr. Mariana V. Ramírez Bustamante is a Researcher at the Heidelberg Center for Ibero-American Studies (HCIAS) since 2024, contributing to the 'Justice in Transitions to Sustainability' project. She holds a PhD in Political Science from Vanderbilt University, specializing in Comparative Politics and Political Methodology. Her research focuses on organized crime's impact on political behavior in Latin America, electoral integrity, and Latin American governance dynamics. Prior roles include Graduate Research Affiliate at Vanderbilt's LAPOP Lab.

• Education:
  • B.A. in Political Science and Public Administration, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru
  • M.A. in Political Science, Vanderbilt University
  • M.A. in Latin American Studies, University of Salamanca

Her research employs mixed methods including experiments, surveys, and qualitative interviews. Key interests include electoral fraud mechanisms (electoral transhumance), drug policy implications, and the interplay between criminal organizations and democratic processes. Current projects analyze drug trafficking candidates' electoral support in Peru and poll worker attendance effects on election outcomes.

Her publications explore electoral irregularities in Peru and Latin America's social media distrust phenomena. She collaborates with international academic networks and contributes to policy discussions on electoral integrity and criminal governance.