Our Team

Until October 2014, Carlos served as Global Rights’ Director of the Ethnic and Racial Equality Program/Advisor on the Rights of LGBTI People. He is trained as a journalist and a lawyer. Carlos is working to combat racial and ethnic discrimination and discrimination based on different sexual orientations and gender identities in the Americas and in some countries in Africa. He has 30 years of experience working with the Organization of American States and its different bodies, including the Inter-American Human Rights Protection System, Summit of the Americas Process, General Assembly, and Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs. He conducts trainings, offers technical assistance, and monitors the UN system.

Carlos worked for the Commission for the Defense of Human Rights in Central America (CODEHUCA) as an Advocacy Director and he was the Latin America Program Officer for Penal Reform International.

He holds a B.A. in Mass Media and a Law Degree (J.D.) from the Universidad de Costa Rica. He also obtained an M.A. in Human Rights from the United Nations University for Peace.

quesada@raceandequality.org

Christina oversees the implementation of Race and Equality’s programs, and designs strategies to advance organizational goals in collaboration with civil society partners.

Before joining Race and Equality, Christina was a Fellow at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. Her interest in social justice issues in Latin America has led her to study transitional justice in Argentina, intern with an indigenous rights organization in Ecuador, and eventually become a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay. While there, Christina worked with community leaders to expand local government services, especially for women and children.

Christina is also a Professorial Lecturer in Law at the George Washington University Law School. She received her J.D. from American University Washington College of Law, where she specialized in international human rights law and gender issues, and also holds an M.A. in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University and a B.A. in Political Science from Bryn Mawr College. She is admitted to practice law in the state of New York.

fetterhoff@raceandequality.org

Elvia works on advocacy projects within the sphere of the Organization of American States, principally in favor of the ratification of the Inter-American Convention Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, and Related Forms of Intolerance.

Previously, Elvia worked for many years as the International Affairs Director at the organization Afroamérica XXI. In this role, she advocated for the Afro-Latino population and was the coordinator of many international projects for Afro-Latinos. Also, along with the organization Global Rights – Partners for Justice, she was one of the Afro-Latino leaders who helped to advocate for the creation of the Rapporteurship on the Rights of Persons of African Descent and against Racial Discrimination at the OAS. As a member of various Afro-Latino organizations, she has published numerous training materials and is the author of the book entitled Aportes del pueblo afrodescendiente. La historia oculta de América Latina. Elvia Duque studied Law at the Universidad Santiago de Cali and was born in Cali, Colombia.

duque@raceandequality.org

In her role, Carmen consults for Race and Equality’s Legal Program, seeking to strengthen the organization’s legal actions in favor of both individuals and collective groups.

Carmen is a trained attorney with a master’s in political sociology. In her previous role, she contributed to documentation and litigation strategies at the Mexican national system, as well as developing advocacy strategies towards the Inter-American Human Rights Protection System. Her work focused on populations facing structural violence and discrimination, collaborating with organizations supporting these groups. She has also carried investigative and training processes in relation to these topics.

She has been part of a number of human rights organizations in Mexico, including the Miguel Agustin Pro Juarez Human Rights Center (Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez) & Attorneys for Justice and Human Rights (Abogadas y Abogados para la Justicia y los Derechos Humanos), where she worked in the regional project “Discrimination by ethnicity and gender in the Americas: The case of Indigenous Women.” She has also been leading judicial inspector at the Supreme Court in Mexico City and directed the Justice and International Law Regional Office for Central America and Central Mexico. She has worked alongside the Inter-American Institute for Human Rights in training lawyers in Latin America to incorporate gender and race/ethnicity approaches to their legal advocacy for cases of violence and discrimination against women and discrimination against Afrodescendants, respectively.

herrera@raceandequality.org

Zuleika is the Senior LGBTI Program Officer and works with human rights defenders in Latin America to support and strengthen their advocacy capacity at the domestic and international levels.

Before joining Race & Equality, Zuleika completed the J.D. Distinguished Fellowship of American University Washington College of Law at Lesbianas Independientes Feministas Socialistas (LIFS), an Lesbian, trans, and bisexual (LTB) organization in Lima, Peru where she served as a member of its legal team and conducted workshops on LTB rights for Peruvian civil society. Additionally, she was a research assistant at the Academy on Human Rights and International Law and the Anti-Torture Initiative. Zuleika was an intern at the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) and the Study for the Defense of Women’s Rights (DEMUS), among other NGOs.

Zuleika received her law degree from American University Washington College of Law, where she focused on human rights and gender. She also holds an M.A. in International Relations from the School of International Service of American University and a B.A. in Political Science and Public Affairs from Syracuse University. She is admitted to practice law in the District of Colombia.

rivera@raceandequality.org

Alejandro is the Compliance Officer for Race and Equality. In this role, he is tasked with reviewing organizational compliance policies, overseeing contract implementation and follow-up with contractors, as well as providing staff and consultants with training regarding procurement policies and procedures. Alejandro works closely with Senior Leadership, the Finance team and Programs to ensure effective organizational implementation of internal policies. Prior to this role, Alejandro was the Latin America Program Assistant at Race and Equality, where he provided logistical and programmatic support to the Race and Equality’s projects, as well as performing daily operational tasks for the Washington, DC office. He was also tasked with exploring new methods for improving the organization’s program impact and new development opportunities.

Before joining Race and Equality, Alejandro was an intern at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, where he supported the Contracts and Grants department monitoring the implementation of various regional democracy projects, including some in Latin America and the Caribbean. Alejandro monitored federal compliance measures and supported the procurement of goods and services.

Alejandro has an M.A. in International Commerce and Policy in 2015 from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA and a B.A. in Global Affairs in 2012. His focuses on human rights violations, democracy, and economic development in the Americas. He has research experience in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and his native country of Bolivia.

aguayo@raceandequality.org

Catalina is the Women’s Rights Consultant. In this role, she is focused on strengthening the rights of women in the region acting as a means for them to raise their voice before international human rights bodies for their protection. Consequently, she develops activities, trainings, and research with a gender perspective.

Before joining Race and Equality, Catalina worked at a Prosecutor’s Office Specializing in Gender Violence in the City of Buenos Aires. Also, she has experience working in the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights as an intern as well as on migration and refugee issues due to practices done in Buenos Aires as a student.

Catalina graduated as a lawyer from the University of Buenos Aires Law School and she is specialized in Public International Law.

ledebur@raceandequality.org

Getye directly reports to the Executive Director and performs all day-to-day financial transactions, as well as preparing the organization’s periodic financial reports.

Getye has over 20 years of work experience in the field of accounting and financial management. Before joining Race & Equality, he worked at a publicly-owned enterprise, a coffee plantation development corporation, and in his own professional consultancy firm in Ethiopia.

Getye received his B.A. in Accounting from Addis Ababa University/Ethiopia, as well as a professional certification from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in the United Kingdom (UK).

mulat@raceandequality.org

Johanna oversees the successful implementation of programming in the country assigned. It includes aiding in the coordination of the overall strategy for the country, designing and implementing programs to build the capacity of human rights activists in Latin America through training, research, advocacy, and strategic litigation.

She previously worked as a consultant for the Women’s Human Rights Institute, where she trained indigenous women to defend their rights in the Inter-American human rights system. She was also director of the Free Legal Clinic at Universidad San Francisco (Quito, Ecuador), representing victims of human rights violations before national and international bodies. She taught public international law and clinics at Universidad San Francisco’s Faculty of Law. She has been a consultant and Fellow at the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights, a consultant at the United Nations office in Ecuador, and a consultant for various civil society groups in Latin America.

Johanna received her law degree from Universidad San Francisco, an LLM in International Human Rights Law from the University of Notre Dame, and a master’s degree in international relations from the Latin American School of Social Science (FLACSO).

villegas@raceandequality.org

Julia works in close contact with local partners in the region to strengthen their legal capacities to denounce human rights violations before the Inter-American and the Universal Human Rights Systems. Moreover, in her role as Legal Program Officer, she also cooperates with the legal team in the strategic litigation of cases before human rights mechanisms.

Prior to joining Race and Equality, Julia was affiliated with the American University Washington College of Law as a visiting scholar. At AUWCL, she also coordinated the Initiative on Transparency and Election Monitoring at the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. In the U.S., she worked as a “Rómulo Gallegos” legal fellow and consultant for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Previously, in Argentina, she served as a public defender representing women victims of gender-based violence. Moreover, as a researcher, she participated in several projects sponsored by the University of Buenos Aires and dedicated to the study of the impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations.

Julia has a J.D. from the University of Buenos Aires and an LL.M in International and Comparative Law from the University of California- Los Angeles.

dellasoppa@raceandequality.org

In this role, Noelia coordinates at the local level the internship project for the empowerment of activists in Latin America. Noelia also supports Race and Equality’s capacity building actions for effectively implementing the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination, and All Forms of Intolerance (CIRDI) in Uruguay.

Noelia is a human rights defender of the Afro-descendant population of the Americas with more than twenty years of experience. She has worked on building capacity for political advocacy and advocacy in civil society organizations. At the same time, she has experience working with the Inter-American (OAS) and International (UN) System for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.

Noelia is a Popular Educator certified by the Franciscan Multiversity of Latin America with several Human Rights certifications with a Diploma in Race Relations and Social Inclusion of the Afro-descendant population. She is an independent consultant in Human Rights, Afro-descendants, and Public Policies with experience in Public Management and project management.

maciel@raceandequality.org

Elliot is one of the Latin America Program Assistants. In his role, he works closely with Program Officers to facilitate, administrative, logistical, and programmatic support for Race and Equality’s projects and the Washington D.C. office.

Prior to joining Race and Equality, Elliot was completing an M.A. in Latin American Studies at Georgetown University. While studying he completed a capstone study on the Chilean Constitutional rewrite in the context of other contemporary constitutional rewrites in the region in partnership with the Chilean organization Observatorio Nueva Constitución. While studying he interned with Guatemala Solidarity Project, an organization advocating for indigenous peoples’ rights in Guatemala. Before attending Georgetown, Elliot graduated with a B.A. in International Relations with Honors from Hendrix College in Arkansas.

anderson@raceandequality.org

María Luisa is a consultant for the Legal Program for Latin America of the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights. She collaborates with strategic litigation actions before the Inter-American Human Rights System (IAHRS) and the Universal System, implementing, together with allied organizations, the legal strategy, advocacy actions and strengthening the capacities of partners in the assigned country.

Before joining Race and Equality, Ma. Luisa worked as a lawyer responsible for strategic litigation in the Program for Central America and Mexico of the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL). She also worked as a professor of legal anthropology and criminology at the Universidad Austral de Chile, and as a researcher at the Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainable Human Development of the same university (CEAM-UACh).

Ma. Luisa graduated as a lawyer and social anthropologist from the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. She has a master’s degree in Economics, as well as specializations in ESCER and the rights of indigenous peoples from the University of Chile; in international cooperation and migration from the Rey Juan Carlos University of Madrid, Spain, among others. She is currently pursuing a Masters in International Human Rights Law at the United Nations University for Peace (UPEACE).

gomezcomi@raceandequality.org

Fernando is a consultant for the Latin America Legal Program at Race and Equality.

Before joining Race and Equality, Fernando worked as a legal consultant for various non-governmental organizations in Latin America. In Argentina, Fernando was Chief of Staff and Legal Advisor to the Secretary for Human Rights in the Buenos Aires province, where he designed and applied public policies on human rights and represented the province before international human rights protection mechanisms. Fernando has extensive experience on migration and refugee issues, international criminal law, and litigation before the Inter-American Human Rights System. Fernando has also served as an intern at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and at the Center for Justice and International Law.

Fernando graduated as a lawyer from the University of Buenos Aires Law School. In addition, he holds a Master’s Degree in Fundamental Rights from the University Carlos III of Madrid. Fernando has taken many courses and certificate programs on economic, social and cultural rights, as well as development, migration and refugees.

legalconsultant@raceandequality.org

In this role, Yanitza works to design and implement innovative programs to build the capacity of human rights activists in Latin America.

Yanitza initiated her legal path by working as a lawyer in Cuba, mainly focusing on civil law, criminal law, and disputes. She also practiced law in Ecuador, working as a legal advisor for the local Government of Pichincha (GAP) in Quito. Her work focused on enhancing law to protect people’s rights in a human mobility context, designing local immigration public policies, and developing advocacy strategies towards the local and national level institutions. She also actively participated in constructing the Organic Law on the Human Mobility process in Ecuador. Continuing her legal career in the U.S., she was part of the Human Rights Clinic (HRC), in Miami Law’s Human Rights Program, as a student fellow to gain experience in human rights litigation and advocacy at the local, national, regional, and international levels.

Yanitza has a law degree from the “Oscar Lucero Moya” University in Cuba. She received her second law degree, an LL.M/J.D. in International Law from the University of Miami School of Law in Florida.

sanchez@raceandequality.org

Jesús is in charge of executing communication actions to advocate on human rights issues in Latin America. He also supports the implementation of Race and Equality’s communication strategy.

He is a social communicator and journalist from Barranquilla, Colombia. Previously, he coordinated the communications area of a Colombian NGO that fights for the rights of LGBTI+ people, and was the facilitator of a pilot project that created a model for the Colombian Police to prevent and improve attention to cases of gender-based violence.

He has worked in media and human rights organizations that address issues of gender, internal armed conflict, and peace agreements.

commslatam@raceandequality.org

Lina is a junior researcher in the line of research and advocacy activities against racist police violence in Colombia. She is a Sociologist from the Universidad del Valle.

Before joining Raza e Igualdad, Lina was a research assistant at the Universidad del Valle in the Ethnic-Racial Studies and Labor Studies research group in its different social components in projects related to affirmative action, higher education, and job placement for Afro-descendant populations. and indigenous women, processes of economic strengthening and social leadership of indigenous women, internationalization and characterization of Colombian Universities and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) of the United States.

Lina has participated in the Afro-descendant Foundation for Social and Sexual Diversities SOMOS IDENTIDAD in activities related to training processes from a gender and ethnic-racial approach, in activities to accompany and disseminate affirmative actions for the Afro-descendant population in higher education. She was a scholarship holder of the Martin Luther King program carried out by USAID, Embassy of the United States and Colombo Americano. In 2017 she participated in the School for Advanced Studies in Ethnic-racial Inequalities: dialogues between Africa, America and Europe at the Universidad del Valle.

investigacioncali@raceandequality.org

In this role, Sara is in charge of coordinating the administrative, financial, and logistical policies of the Race and Equality office in Colombia.

Before joining Race and Equality, she worked as an Administrative Assistant at the Feminist Kolective Corporation. She also worked at the Humanas Corporation as administrator of the project “Support for the construction of public policies with a gender approach in Colombia”, financed by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation.

Sara is a Business Administrator from the Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia (UNAD), and has extensive experience in planning, executing and optimizing financial resources, mastery in establishing excellent business relationships and office management.

logistic@raceandequality.org

Angélica is a consultant for the Legal Program for Colombia of the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights. Collaborates with strategic litigation actions before the Inter-American Human Rights System (SIDH) and the Universal System, and supports the Racial Justice line of the Institute in Colombia through national and international advocacy actions and the strengthening of the capacities of organizations of Afro-Colombian civil society.

Before joining Raza y Igualdad, Angélica worked as a consultant on human trafficking in Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia for the Justice Education Society and as a Latin America Advisor for the Minority Rights Group. She has been a legal and human rights advisor to various territorial entities in Colombia and a Young Researcher for the Colombian Ministry of Science and the Colombian Caribbean Observatory. She was also an intern at the Tippecanoe County Courthouse Public Defense Office in Indiana, United States.

Angélica graduated as a lawyer from the University of Cartagena and has an LL.M. from Pennsylvania State University with a concentration in race and equity studies which she completed as a Fulbright scholarship recipient. She has been an opinion columnist in Colombia and a speaker at various national and international conferences on human rights, receiving recognition and distinctions for her research work.

ricaurte@raceandequality.org

Luz implements the communication strategies of the LGBTI Program working with staff and activists in Latin America and the Caribbean to promote the LGBTI+ work of Race and Equality and our partners.

Previously, she worked as a consultant in the area of communications for various feminist non-governmental organizations such as the Estudio por la Defensa de los Derechos de la Mujer (DEMUS), Movimiento Manuela Ramos, and Lesbianas Independientes Feministas Socialistas (LIFS), all dedicated to the protection and promotion of the human rights of women and LGBTI+ and gender diverse people.

She has experience carrying out communication campaigns for political and social advocacy incoordination with independent activists, groups, and civil society organizations. Among her most prominent campaigns is #LesbianasCedaw and Generación Z; the first was part of a coalition of human rights organizations and the second, part of a project by UNICEF, Promundo, and Movimiento Manuela Ramos.

Luz has a B.A. in Journalism and Communication from the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC).

lgbticomms@raceandequality.org

Lawyer and Coordinator of the Race and Equality Brazil Program. Rodnei is responsible for managing the projects, programs and strategic alliances of Race and Equality in Brazil.

For 23 years he acted as lawyer and coordinator of SOS Racism of Geledés – Black Women’s Institute. He has a postgraduate study in Human Rights from the University of São Paulo (USP), postgraduate in Human Rights and International Law from the Advocates Training Program at Columbia University (NY), also a postgraduate in Civil Law and Civil Procedural Law. Litigator with vast experience in the defense of the rights of the Black population. Since 2001, he has been acting before the International Human Rights Protection Systems, both in the Inter-American Human Rights System and the Universal Human Rights System.

jerico@raceandequality.org

Nathaly Calixto (she/her) serves as the Brazil Program Officer and is located in the Washington DC office. Her role involves representing the Brazil office at an institutional level in DC and advocating for our partners, effectively elevating their concerns to the highest levels of human rights protection. She actively engages with influential stakeholders, such as the US Congress, State Department, the OAS, and prominent human rights organizations with a regional and global impact.

Nathaly is a lawyer specializing in International Politics and Human Rights, with a Master’s in Political Science and International Relations from NOVA University of Lisbon, and SciencePo-certified in International Migration. She has worked in Brazil, Sri Lanka, and Portugal, conducting research in the fields of migration, international politics and human rights.

calixto@raceandequality.org

Leilane works with the strengthening of Brazilian organizations to combat racism and gender violence, and to promote and defend human rights at the national and international levels.

Leilane is a lawyer, with a master´s degree in law and public policies. She has experience in criminal law. Before joining Race and Equality, she has worked to combat violence against women, and also as a legal assistant in supporting refugee and refugee seekers.

She is currently working on her Ph.D. at PUC/Rio, where she is researching environmental migrations and refuge. She is also a researcher on human rights, forced displacement, extractivist, and environmental justice, with a focus on race and gender.

reis@raceandequality.org

Paolla handles all communications work for our work on LGBTI rights in Brazil and supports the implementation of our region-wide communications strategy.

Before joining us, Paolla worked in the field of public relations, particularly in cultural and business promotions. She has focused her past work as a journalist and communications specialist on the topics of race, gender, and intersectional feminism, especially the development of Afro-descendant identity and consciousness for social movements seeking racial and gender justice.

Paolla is trained as a journalist and holds a master’s degree in Culture and Territory from Universidad Federal Fluminense (Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil)

jornalista@raceandequality.org

Gaia is the advocacy officer in Geneva and coordinates the advocacy activities before international human rights mechanisms in Geneva, Switzerland.

Prior to joining Race and Equality, Gaia worked with the Mexican Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the democratic space unit, where she focused on the monitoring of abuses against human rights defenders, journalists and during peaceful protests. Additionally, she worked in different local and international human rights organization on human rights education, particularly on international human rights mechanisms, in Chile, Germany and Switzerland.

Gaia holds an Msc in Human Rights from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BA in International Studies with a specialization in the Latin Americana region form Leiden University.

hefti@raceandequality.org

Camilo is responsible for designing and carrying out Race & Equality’s advocacy strategy before the European Union (EU) institutions and its different bodies.

Prior to joining Race & Equality, Camilo has worked for European and Latin American NGO networks, implementing advocacy strategies towards the EU with the aim to promote a human rights-based approach in its relations with Latin America and the Caribbean. As a consultant he has facilitated strategic planning and project design processes for civil society organizations, conduct research, policy analysis and drafting of studies. He was also advisor on international affairs and cooperation for the Ministry of Culture of Colombia.

Camilo holds a BA in Economics from Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia, and an Advanced Master in European Integration and Development from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium.

tovar@raceandequality.org

Daniel works in close contact with Costa Rica and Panama counterparts to strengthen their advocacy capacities. He has developed his work experience in international cooperation, specifically in managing programs on democracy, human rights, and governance (DRG).

Before joining the Race and Equality team, he collaborated with organizations such as Freedom House to evaluate the state of political rights and civil freedoms for the Freedom in the World Report. He also worked with the International Republican Institute (IRI) on projects related to anti-corruption and open government strategies, including actions with the National Assembly, the justice system, and transparent public contracting processes, as well as with civil society actors living in authoritarian regimes or closed civic spaces.

In addition to his work at Race and Equality, he is a human rights activist for the LGBTQ+ population in Panama and a researcher on democracy, human migration, and intersectionality. Daniel holds a B.A in International Relations from the University of Panama and is a graduate of the Masters in Conflict Resolution, Peace, and Development from the United Nations University for Peace.

barrias@raceandequality.org

Tsáitami is a consultant for the Latin American Legal Program.
Shesupports legal and strategic actions before the Inter-American Human Rights System and the Universal System.

Before joining Race and Equality, Tsáitami worked at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights for almost four years in the substantive and compliance monitoring program. She held profesional and research internships at the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), Women’s Link Worldwide, United Nations Latin American Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (ILANUD) and the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights.

She studied law at the University of Costa Rica and has a background in philosophy. She holds a Master’s degree in Governance and Human Rights from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and a Master’s degree in Domestic and Gender Violence from the European Institute Campus Stella Santiago de Compostela. She has worked on issues of feminist social justice, anti-racism and sexual and reproductive rights.

Isis executes Race & Equality’s advocacy strategy before the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, where she is currently based. Isis is a Brazilian lawyer experienced in strengthening the capacity of grassroots human rights organizations and activists in several Latin American, African and Asia-Pacific countries, particularly in relation to the UN system.

Previously, Isis served as coordinator of TB-Net and Dominicans for Justice and Peace and was a consultant for ILGA World, International Movement Against All Forms of Racism and Discrimination (IMADR), among other experiences.

She holds an LLM in International and European Law from the University of Geneva (Switzerland) and a BA in Law from the Federal University of Pernambuco (Brazil).

alves@raceandequality.org

Ana Velez is one of the Latin America Program Assistants. In her position, she works mostly with  programs in the Washington, D.C. office.

Ana graduated from American University with a B.A. in International Studies, with a focus on Justice, Ethics, and Human Rights in the Western Hemisphere. During her time at American she focused on human rights and socio-political issues in Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and the Northern Triangle.

Before joining Race and Equality, she interned as a legal assistant in an immigration firm. She is originally from Puerto Rico. She is completely fluent in both English and Spanish and has intermediate knowledge of French.

velez@raceandequality.org

Lucía is a Legal Program Officer for Latin America specializing in racial justice, with a focus on gender and indigenous peoples. She works closely in collaboration with our partners in Latin America to support and strengthen their human rights defense capacity at a national and international level.

Before she joined Race and Equality, she was a fellow for Equal Right Advocates, where she contributed to their policy agendas, national campaigns, and coalitions centered on the promotion of gender justice. Additionally, she was a Racial Justice and Human Rights in the Americas Fellow at the Promise Institute for Human Rights, where she worked on diverse projects regarding the intersection of race with migration, gender, climate justice, and human rights. Before that, in Argentina, she worked in the non-profit sector in diverse positions for human rights defense, coalition building, and implementation of public policy. Additionally, she consulted for the International Labor Organization for their Spotlight Initiative and was an intern for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Lucía is a graduate of the University Torcuato Di Tella in Law and obtained a Master of Laws from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she specialized in the law and sexuality, as well as Critical Race Studies.

Marcelo is a Latin America Legal Program Officer. He works on advocacy and strategic litigation actions before the Inter-American Human Rights System, the Universal Human Rights System, and International Financial Institutions. Before joining Race and Equality, he worked with the Inter-American Development Bank, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the UN International Law Commission, and the Center for Justice and International Law. He also worked as a lawyer, representing Brazilian civil society organizations and social movements before international and national forums. Marcelo holds a Master’s degree in International Human Rights Law and Humanitarian Law from American University Washington College of Law (USA), a Master’s degree in Public Law from Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (Brazil), a Postgraduate degree in International Litigation from Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (Argentina), and a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), with an exchange period at the Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina). He is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, and English and he is studying French.

Adolfo is a consultant to the Legal Program for Latin America. He supports legal and strategic actions before the Inter-American Human Rights System and the United Nations System.

Prior to joining Race and Equality, Adolfo worked at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights for almost five years on the merits, supervising compliance with judgments, provisional measures and an advisory opinion. Prior to that, he worked at the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice of Costa Rica in the processing of protection, habeas corpus and constitutionality actions.

His experience also includes internships at the Electoral Advisory and Promotion Center of the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights and at the Attorney General’s Office of Costa Rica.

He holds a law degree from the University of Costa Rica and has studies in International Public Law from The Hague Academy of International Law, in Politics and Democracy from the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences and in Human Rights from the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights.

Otávio is a consultant for the LGBTI Program in Brazil. He assists, in collaboration with our LGBTI partners, in strengthening their capacities and also in strategic litigation in the Inter-American Human Rights System.

Otávio’s long standing passion for human rights has culminated in his interest to conduct legal studies on challenging contexts of human rights violations and intersectional justice. Throughout his professional experience, Otávio has completed internships and volunteered in institutions such as Amnesty International, TODXs, the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, and the G20 Youth Summit. In the academic field, he has dedicated to South-South cooperation projects for the protection of children and adolescents in Brazil, Angola, and Mozambique. He is a lawyer with a degree (LL.B) from the State University of Londrina.

zanardi@raceandequality.org

Adria is a Consultant for Race and Equality in Madrid, Spain.

Before joining our team, Adria worked in Proyform Global as project coordinator.
She worked in Cuba for the NGO OXFAM in the Latin America and the Caribbean Program with The project of Community Participation and Citizen Commitment for the Integral Management of Urban Solid Waste in the municipality of Micro X, in conjunction with the Alamar Este Neighborhood Transformation Workshop. She has participated in several urban research groups, covering topics of sociology, race, and feminism, with a focus on citizen participation and land use planning. She has been a participant in the Annual Assembly of the International Network for Urban Research and Action, and has lived in Cuba, Chile and Spain.
She has contributed to several programs for the Integral Law Against Gender Violence in Cuba, and collaborated with several Cuban platforms, such as Justicia 11J, The Gender Observatory of Alas Tensas and Diario de Cuba. She is currently working to strengthen the capacities of Cuban exile civil society.
She studied Architecture and Urbanism at the Technological University of Havana, and has a background in Spanish-American Literature.

João Pedro (he/him) serves as an Program Officer for the project to Combat Religious Racism, integrated into Race and Equality’s Brazil Program. His work involves collaborating with human rights defenders, promoting religious freedom, and strengthening advocacy capacity at national and international levels. He aims to efficiently and technically convey concerns to the highest levels of human rights guarantees.

João Pedro is a lawyer with a degree from UFRGS, where he also completed his master’s degree in Sociology. His professional trajectory is marked by activism, academic research, and institutional experience. He worked in the Chamber of Deputies in Brasília, managing a parliamentary office, drafting laws, and defending human rights in their entirety.

araujo@raceandequality.org

Antonia Iarissa is responsible for assisting with the administration, finances, processes, and logistics of the Race and Equality office in Brazil. She works in collaboration with the director and supports the program officers in executing projects and managing operational tasks.

With a degree in Public Security from the Fluminense Federal University (UFF) and a current postgraduate degree in Human Rights, Antonia is interested in the justice system and its punishments. With experience in business relations and team management, she has worked in private companies, where she contributed to improving operational processes.

iarissa@raceandequality.org