Álvaro’s research focuses on the power dynamics within donor-recipient relations, specifically examining the practices of domination employed by foundation officers when interacting with recipients in the Global South. His interest in donor-recipient relations is broad: it extends from studying the philanthropic endorsement of realism in international relations, modernization and dependency theory to analyzing how well foundations do when compared with other donors that have supported human rights activism and promoted democracy. By examining the strategies employed by foundations and aid agencies during the third wave of democratization, valuable lessons can be learned for addressing the current failures and crises of democracy. Presently, Álvaro is completing a book manuscript tentatively titled Philanthropic Domination: How Foreign Donors Shaped Social Sciences in Latin America during the Cold War.