German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

Andrea Emilia Arellano Castillo

Research Fellow

Short CV

Since 10/2023: Research Fellow at the GIGA Institute for Latin American Studies (ILAS)
08/2022-09/2023: Research Assitant at the GIGA in the project "COVID-19 and Executive Personalization in Subsaharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the MENA region".
07/2022-01/2023: Intern for the advocacy team of the Children´s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch.
10/2021-01/2022: Research Assitant at the Centre For Sustainability Management, Leuphana University.
08/2020-09/2020: Analyst Lawyer at the Ecuadorian Constitutional Court.
Education: M.A. Public Economics, Law and Politics by the Leuphana University of Lüneburg; Constitucional Law Specialist by Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, Quito; Lawyer by the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito.

Current Research

Executive Personalization in Latin America
Policy-making processes in democratic and authoritarian regimes
Power relations and rule of law

Countries and Regions

Ecuador
El Salvador
Latin America and the Caribbean

Research Programmes

Accountability and Participation

Andrea Emilia Arellano Castillo

Research Fellow

[email protected]

GIGA Working Papers | 01/2024

Personnel, Institutions, and Power: Revisiting the Concept of Executive Personalisation

Evidence shows a growing trend of chief executives personalising power in autocracies and democracies. Yet, scholarly focus remains siloed according to regime type. This Working Paper presents an overarching framework on the “Personalisation of Executive Power,” identifying the involved mechanisms.

Prof. Dr. Mariana Llanos

Dr. David Kuehn

Prof. Dr. Thomas Richter

Dr. Martin Acheampong

Dr. Esther Song

Andrea Emilia Arellano Castillo

Infographic | 04/2025

COVID-19 and Executive Personalization in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the MENA Region: A Dashboard

This dashboard examines how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced executive personalization in 32 countries. Each bubble represents a country and its number of personalization events. Select one or two, then use the buttons to explore the events and their underlying mechanisms.

Prof. Dr. Mariana Llanos

Dr. David Kuehn

Prof. Dr. Thomas Richter

Dr. Martin Acheampong

Andrea Emilia Arellano Castillo

Eduardo Valencia

GIGA Working Papers | 01/2024

Personnel, Institutions, and Power: Revisiting the Concept of Executive Personalisation

Prof. Dr. Mariana Llanos

Dr. David Kuehn

Prof. Dr. Thomas Richter

Dr. Martin Acheampong

Dr. Esther Song

Andrea Emilia Arellano Castillo

Research Project | 15/01/2022 - 14/12/2024

COVID-19 and Executive Personalization in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the MENA Region

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, political leaders reacted by containment measures that, next to combating the spread of the pandemic, also presented a window of opportunity to bolster executives’ personal grasp on power. Personalization of power has been particularly worrying in the Global South where constraints on the chief executives were often already weak prior to the pandemic. This project assesses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the personalization of executive power in 36 countries of the Global South.
DFG, 2021-2024

BTI blog | Latinoamerica21 | Article | 31/03/2025

Ecuador’s 2025 Elections: Caught between Political Polarization and Escalating Violence

In this piece, Emilia Arellano takes a closer look at what’s shaping the electoral context in Ecuador — from rising violence to deepening polarization— and what’s at stake in this crucial vote.

zdf heute | Quote | 11/02/2025

Nach Wahl und vor Stichwahl: 750 Morde im Januar - Ecuador im Krisenmodus

In the midst of this crisis, Ecuador is electing a new head of state. "There is great uncertainty about the future and concern that the gangs will continue to control the country," explains Emilia Arellano in an interview with ZDF. The general election campaign theme is therefore: combating the country's security crisis.

Conference | 03/04/2025 - 06/04/2025

Thriving or Thwarted? Executive Personalization and Constraints amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Annual MPSA Conference 2025, Palmer House Hilton, Chicago Organisers: Midwest Political Science Association Andrea Emilia Arellano Castillo (Speaker), Dr. Martin Acheampong (Speaker), Prof. Dr. Mariana Llanos (Speaker), Prof. Dr. Thomas Richter (Speaker), Dr. David Kuehn (Speaker)

Emilia Arellano presents the paper "Thriving or Thwarted? Executive Personalization and Constraints amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic" co-authored by her and GIGA researchers Dr. Martin Acheampong, Dr. David Kuehn, Prof. Dr Mariana Llanos, Prof. Dr. Thomas Richter.

Andrea Emilia Arellano Castillo

Dr. Martin Acheampong

Prof. Dr. Mariana Llanos

Prof. Dr. Thomas Richter

Dr. David Kuehn

Conference | 05/09/2024 - 08/09/2024

The Hour of the Executive: Conceptualizing and Mapping the Personalization of Executive Power during the COVID-19 Pandemic

APSA Annual Meeting & Exhibition 2024, Philadelphia Organisers: American Political Science Association Andrea Emilia Arellano Castillo (Speaker)

Emilia Arellano presents the paper "The Hour of the Executive: Conceptualizing and Mapping the Personalization of Executive Power during the COVID-19 Pandemic" co-authored by her and GIGA researchers Dr. Martin Acheampong, Dr. David Kuehn, Prof. Dr Mariana Llanos, Prof. Dr. Thomas Richter.

Andrea Emilia Arellano Castillo

Research Fellow

Conference | 12/08/2024 - 15/08/2024

Thriving or Thwarted? Examining Chief Executives and their Constraining Counterparts amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

ECPR General Conference 2024, University College Dublin, Dublin Dr. Martin Acheampong (Speaker), Prof. Dr. Mariana Llanos (Speaker), Prof. Dr. Thomas Richter (Speaker), Dr. David Kuehn (Speaker), Andrea Emilia Arellano Castillo (Speaker)

Dr. Martin Acheampong presents the paper "The Hour of the Executive: Conceptualizing and Mapping the Personalization of Executive Power during the COVID-19 Pandemic" co-authored by him and GIGA researchers Emilia Arellano, Dr. David Kuehn, Prof. Dr Mariana Llanos, Prof. Dr. Thomas Richter.

Dr. Martin Acheampong

Prof. Dr. Mariana Llanos

Prof. Dr. Thomas Richter

Dr. David Kuehn

Andrea Emilia Arellano Castillo

Andrea Emilia Arellano Castillo

Short CV

Current Research

Countries and Regions

Research Programmes

Andrea Emilia Arellano Castillo

Highlights

Personnel, Institutions, and Power: Revisiting the Concept of Executive Personalisation

Publications

COVID-19 and Executive Personalization in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the MENA Region: A Dashboard

Personnel, Institutions, and Power: Revisiting the Concept of Executive Personalisation

Research Projects

COVID-19 and Executive Personalization in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the MENA Region

Media Contributions

Ecuador’s 2025 Elections: Caught between Political Polarization and Escalating Violence

Nach Wahl und vor Stichwahl: 750 Morde im Januar - Ecuador im Krisenmodus

Lectures

Thriving or Thwarted? Executive Personalization and Constraints amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Hour of the Executive: Conceptualizing and Mapping the Personalization of Executive Power during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Thriving or Thwarted? Examining Chief Executives and their Constraining Counterparts amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Notification

Social Media