Joseph Bouchard

Biography

I am a Doctoral Student in Politics at the University of Virginia and a Graduate Fellow with the Karsh Institute’s Nau Democracy Lab. My research focuses on Latin America, examining state and parastate violence and coercion in the region. I also study the role of great powers in shaping governance and security in the region.

My work has been supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada at both the master’s and doctoral levels, as well as the Department of National Defence’s MINDS program. I hold an M.A. in International Affairs from Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School, where my thesis analyzed the incentive structures driving police lethality in Bahia, Brazil. I also hold a B.A. in International Relations and Latin American Studies from the University of British Columbia.

In addition to my native French and English, I speak Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese fluently. I also have proficiency in Russian and Haitian Creole. I am originally from Québec, Canada.

My research has been published in the Howard Journal of Crime and Justice, and I have presented at conferences in Brazil, Canada, the United States, Hong Kong, Russia, Colombia, and South Africa. In addition to my academic work, I have consulted with various governments in the America. I have also published widely as a contributor to outlets such as Drop Site News, The Diplomat, Le Devoir, Responsible Statecraft, and The Intercept Brasil. I was a field reporter in Latin America for three years, spending most of my time in Colombia, Brazil, and Bolivia.