Paulina Garzón
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Paulina Garzón is Ecuadorian and has 25 years of experience working on issues related to international financing, the environment, and human rights. She is the former president of Acción Ecológica, and co-founder and former president of the Center for Economic and Social Rights in Ecuador. Paulina has worked as a consultant in several countries and was Director of Programs for Latin America at the Bank Information Center. In the past six years, Paulina has focused her work on Chinese investments in Latin America, with a particular focus on the Chinese regulatory framework for investments abroad. Paulina holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government (2009).
Email: paulinag@latsustentable.org
Marco Gandarillas
SENIOR RESEARCHER
Marco Gandarillas holds a B.A. in Sociology from Universidad Mayor de San Simón where he studied a Master in Environment and Development from the Centro de Estudios Superiores Universitarios. He is currently a PhD student at CIDES Postgraduate in Development Sciences from the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés. The last years have been devoted to research on Bolivian extractivisms. He has participated in numerous works and directed projects of this type in Bolivia and other countries in the region. His last book is entitled “Rights and Violences in Extractivisms: Extrahections in Bolivia and Latin America”, co-authored with Eduardo Gudynas and Oscar Campanini (2020, La Libre, Bolivia). Between 2007 and 2017, he was Executive Director of the Bolivia Documentation and Information Center, one of the most recognized centers for research and defense of human and environmental rights in South America.
Email: marcog@latsustentable.org
DIANA CASTRO
SENIOR RESEARCHER
Diana Castro is a doctoral researcher in Latin American Studies and holds a Master’s degree in International Development Cooperation at the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar (UASB-Ecuador). Since 2014, Diana has studied the Latin America-China relations, with a particular emphasis on Chinese financing mechanisms for development and infrastructure-investment projects. Her doctoral research traces the effects that these projects generate on institutional capacities of the state, the environment and local development, delving into the Ecuadorian case. Diana has published several articles on these topics. She has worked in various Ecuadorian universities and collaborated in international research initiatives on the relevance of China in Latin America.
Email: dianac@latsustentable.org
María Emilia Hermosa
SENIOR RESEARCHER
María Emilia Hermosa has a bachelor’s degree in international relations and political science from Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) and completed a year of study with the exchange program at Willamette University focusing on developing countries, economic development, environmental ethics, environmental policy, racism, migration and refugees. She participated in various projects sponsored by USFQ in coordination with public institutions on socio-environmental innovation and anthropology. She worked with the British-Ecuadorian Chamber of Commerce (CEB), provided logistics and administrative support for the CEB and for the Arbitration and Mediation International Center.
Email: emiliah@latsustentable.org
Edgar Alberto Zamora
SENIOR RESEARCHER
Edgar Alberto Zamora holds a B.A. in political science from Universidad Nacional de Colombia Bogotá, a Master’s degree in International Relations from UASB-Ecuador and a PhD in Public Policy from FLACSO-Ecuador. Edgar has worked for the most part in academic activities, leading teaching and research projects in Colombian and Ecuadorian universities. He has anchored his analysis in public policy with a particular focus on social policies, political economy of territorial development and internationalization processes.
Email: betoz@latsustentable.org
julia gerlo
Consultant
Julia Gerlo holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the National University of Rosario (UNR) and a Master’s degree in Urban Economics from Torcuato Di Tella University (UTDT). She has worked with international organizations, research centers, and civil society organizations, including the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP-UNESCO), the World Resources Institute (WRI), and the Environment and Natural Resources Foundation (FARN). In recent years, her work has focused on international development finance, climate governance, and the energy transition, with particular emphasis on the role of international financial institutions and the monitoring of investment projects. Julia has published numerous articles and had participated on numerous related advocay activities.
Email: juliag@latsustentable.org
XIMENA ZAPATA
Consultant
Ximena Zapata holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Hamburg and a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO-Ecuador). She is part of the academic coordination team at Filosófica Foundation for Philosophical, Political, and Cultural Studies of Ecuador, and is an associate researcher at the Institute of Latin American Studies of the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA). She has worked as a university lecturer, researcher, and consultant. Her research interests focus on China–Latin America relations, with an emphasis on Chinese investments, financing, and diplomacy.
Email: ximenaz@latsustentable.org
XAVIER GALLARDO
administrative coordinator
Xavier Gallardo studied Business Administration at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE), Accounting and Auditing at the Private Technical University of Loja (UTPL), and Graphic Design and Advertising at the Higher University Institute of Visual Arts of Quito. He has over 30 years of professional experience working independently in management, administration, and accounting.
Email: xavierg@latsustentable.org
GUADALUPE ARANA
Administrative Assistant
Guadalupe Arana is an Ecuadorian professional specializing in administrative management and human resources, with several years of experience working with national and international cooperation organizations in Ecuador and across the Andean region. She has complemented her academic background with a number of professional training courses on institutional policies, non-governmental organizations, gender, sexuality, and migration, offered by FLACSO-Ecuador and other institutions.
Email: guadalupea@latsustentable.org
LAS accepts applications for internships throughout the year. The internships may be virtual or face-to-face depending on the activities and the availability of the intern, you can apply to our internships from anywhere in the world. Send us your resume (maximum 2 pages) and a motivation letter (maximum 1 page), detailing the dates on which you can do the internship and the number of hours available.
Send this information and/or your questions to info_LAS@iiscal.org