Heron Lopes

Heron Lopes joined ICCT in February 2024 as the Current and Emerging Threats Programme intern. He holds a MSc from Leiden University in Political Science with a specialization in International Politics, and a BA from the Jagiellonian University of Krakow in International Relations and Area Studies (IRAS), with a specialization in International Security. Heron is currently in the process of completing his LLM “Law and Politics of International Security (LPIS)” at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam. 

Prior to joining the ICCT, Heron has worked as a Research Assistant at the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) at Uppsala University’s War and Peace Research Department. He tracked, mapped and coded events of organized violence in Latin America. His interest lies in the intertwined fields of law and politics, with a particular focus on international security and international humanitarian law. During his studies he has conducted research on far-right and anti-government extremism in Brazil, social movements mobilization, the legality UAVs and targeted killings, and the efficacy of UAVs in counter-terrorism operations.