Marco Túlio Lara holds a specialization in international geopolitics and defense from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil. He has collaborated with London-based risk consultancy AKE International and currently contributes to reports and analyses at Le Beck International, a geopolitical security consultancy based in the Middle East. He is also an analyst at Gulf State Analytics, a geopolitical risk consultancy based in Washington, DC. He conducts research on the MENA region, focusing mainly on foreign policy, conflicts and security. He is a regular contributor to The National Interest.