Carolina Villadiego Burbano – Latin America Team Leader
Carolina is a Colombian lawyer, having graduated from the Universidad de los Andes. She also holds a master’s degree in Law (LLM) from the University of George Washington in the United States, and a master’s degree in Political Science and Sociology from the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO). Her professional experience has focused on justice systems and their connection to human rights in Latin America, and on developing advocacy strategies in these fields. She has also been a teacher at several universities in Colombia. Prior to joining the ICJ, she worked with the Center for Law, Justice and Society Studies (Dejusticia) of Colombia, the Justice Studies Center of the Americas (JSCA) and the Ombudsman’s Office in Colombia.
Maria Angelica Porto M. – Program Manager
A Colombian native, María Angélica holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from the Universidad Javeriana in Bogota and a master’s degree in International Cooperation and International Organisms from the Universitat de Barcelona in Spain. She joined the ICJ in March 2021 and has previously worked for various regional and international NGOs and organizations, like the United Nations, in countries such as Colombia, the United States, Spain and Portugal. With more than 10 years of experience in human rights project’s management, she has managed multiple projects specifically in the areas of transparency and anti-corruption, public-private initiatives for security, as well as children and women’s economic and social inclusion.
Gabriela Fernandez – Consultant Legal Adviser
Gabriela Fernandez joined the ICJ in 2018. She is a lawyer and notary with more than 10 years experience in legal work in Guatemala. Previously she worked at the International Affairs Department of the Supreme Court in diplomatic and consular work and as a legal adviser for the Public Ministry on the Programme to promote security and justice (SEJUST). Before that she worked as a legal adviser with the Ministry for Public Health and Social Services.
Rosario, a Guatemala native, joined the ICJ in September 2014, after more than 15 years of work with DANIDA’s Human Rights Programmes for Central America as Administration and Finance Officer. She has also worked for UNCHR and UNESCO, among other UN agencies. She has a degree in Business Administration, post-graduate degree in Conflict Resolution and is a sworn translator (Spanish/English-English/Spanish).
Rocío is a Colombian lawyer. She holds a specialisation (graduate diploma) in criminal law and criminological sciences, a master’s degree in crime analysis and prevention, and an LLM in human rights and criminal justice. For more than a decade, Rocío has worked on human rights, particularly in accountability for human rights violations, transitional justice, and economic, social and cultural rights affairs, in public and private institutions. Since December 2018, Rocío has worked for the ICJ as a legal adviser.