José Henríquez Leiva

José Henríquez Leiva

‌José holds an M.Sc. in International Development from American University (Washington, D.C.), a joint sociology degree from the Gregorian University (Italy) and the University of Wales (Cardiff), a theology degree from La Salle University (Mexico), and an education degree from the Francisco Marroquín University (Guatemala). José is a socio-legal scholar mainly interested in the complexities and ramifications of urban violence, especially when it involves youth and marginalized communities. His current projects examine the violent dynamics of gangs and states in Central America using a human rights framework and a postcolonial approach. As part of his professional endeavours, José has worked extensively with marginalized urban and rural communities in Central America, Peru, and Bolivia. He has also served as an expert witness in asylum cases in the United States.

Email:  J.HenriquezLeiva1@nuigalway.ie

PhD Research Topic: Gang Violence, State Repression, and Human Rights in Guatemala

Supervisor:  Dr Anita Ferrara

Scholarship / funding awards information: PhD Fellowship School of Law, University of Galway.

Links to online academic profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0167-1722

Publications:

• "Central American Northern Triangle's search for meaning: Óscar Romero's peace legacy revisited in the post-war era" (online conference organized by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, Notre Dame University, Indiana, 2021).
• "Corruption Spirals and the Political Construction of Violent Democracies: Notes from Central America" (online, prepared for the IV International Sociological Association Forum, 2021).
• "The Coloniality of law and the (unintended?) construction of international criminals" (webinar series organized by the Thematic Area in Democratic Citizenship at the University of Portsmouth's School of Law, 2020).
• "Addressing Gang Violence in El Salvador. Envisioning a Just Peace Approach" in McCarthy, E. (ed), A Just Peace Ethic Primer. Building Sustainable Peace and Breaking Cycles of Violence. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press, 2020, 175-191.
• Review of Mortal doubt: transnational gangs and social order in Guatemala City, by Anthony W. Fontes. Social Anthropology 28(1), 2020, 194-195.
• "Politics of criminalization and fear: Examining links between security and corruption in Central America" (Annual Meeting of the Law and Society Association, 2019).
• "Recycled Repression: The Securitization of Gang Violence in Guatemala" (Annual Doctoral Seminar of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, 2019).