Mariano Del Pópolo is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Political Science, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. He holds a PhD in Social Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires, an MA in Latin American Studies from the National University of San Martín, and a BA in International Relations from the National University of Central Buenos Aires. His research focuses on security and defense in Latin America, civil-military relations, militarization, U.S. foreign policy toward the region, and the effects of U.S.-China competition. His current postdoctoral project examines how U.S. and Chinese security cooperation, military training, arms transfers, and security technologies shape military roles and security agendas in Latin America. His work has been published in journals such as Latin American Perspectives, Disaster Prevention and Management, Íconos, and e-l@tina.