Santiago Tobón
I study how organized crime operates — how criminal organizations govern communities, extract resources, and sustain themselves — and what governments can do about it. My research covers policing, prisons, civilian alternatives to enforcement, and the regulation of illicit markets. Most of my fieldwork takes place in Colombian cities, where I run experiments and collect original data on criminal governance, public trust in state institutions, and the effects of policy interventions at scale.
I am a Professor of Economics at Universidad EAFIT in Medellín and Director of the Centro de Valor Público, which connects applied research to institutional decision-making across Colombia. I hold affiliations with J-PAL, IPA, UNU-WIDER, and EGAP, where I serve on the Board.
In 2020, the Juan Luis Londoño committee awarded me the Juan Luis Londoño Medal, which recognizes Colombians under 40 whose research has shaped public policy.
EAFIT J-PAL IPA UNU-WIDER EGAP
CV Google Scholar stobonz@eafit.edu.co
Research
Publications in criminal governance, policing, prisons, and illicit markets. Working papers on trust in state actors, gang recruitment, and the organization of organized crime.
Centro de Valor Público
Applied research, program evaluation, and policy design for governments and organizations. Projects range from experimental evaluations of youth interventions to institutional strengthening across 49 municipalities.
Book project
An evidence-based account of the cocaine industry — from coca cultivation through production, trafficking, and retail distribution to the policy responses that shape each stage.
Data & replication
Replication packages for published papers, hosted on Harvard Dataverse and Zenodo.
Latest
"Gang rule: Understanding and countering criminal governance" — Review of Economic Studies (2025) Journal article
"Statebuilding in the City" — forthcoming at APSR Journal article
How conflict and illicit economies undermine fiscal stability in Colombia — UNU-WIDER Blog post, 2024