MARIANNA ROMERO

Hello, I am Marianna Romero, a lawyer and human rights defender from Caracas, Venezuela, actively fighting to defend the human rights. Currently I work for two major organizations responsible for defending human rights in my country, the Center for Human Rights at the Catholic University (CDH-UCAB) and the Venezuelan Prison Observatory (OVP).

Passionate and advocate for Human Rights, the Social Service and the Law, I have participated from a young age in several social activities and volunteering in different programs for social development. Additionally prior my current positions I worked with different groups defending the human rights in a politically complex country as Venezuela is, covering delicate fields such as torture and degrading treatment, freedom of speech, equality before the law, rights to fair public hearing, arbitrary arrests among others.

Thanks to my firsthand experience and the political context in my country I was able to develop a particular ability to understand victims of human rights violations, being attentive to the particular circumstances of each case, and focusing on deep understanding to solve them in the most suitable way. Prior my current positions I worked for different private law and public law firms including Ruden McClosky & Assoc., Rodner Martinez & Assoc. and Haro Garcia & Assoc. This was also a valuable experience that allows me to have an open mind, a broader perspective and better understanding of both the socioeconomic and political context of my cases.

I hold a major in Law from the Faculty of Law of the Catholic University Andres Bello (Caracas, Venezuela). I obtained a grade Summa Cum Laude completing successfully the Catholic University of Louvain on International Human Rights Program and recently started a specialization in the field of Human Rights, references Access to Justice, under Advanced Studies Program in Human Rights endorsed by AUSJAL. I have also participated in workshops on coaching and group management, in dealing with victims of human rights violations.

As a lawyer and human right defender I am currently looking forward to expand my work to the international defense of human rights. I am open to collaborate with either public or private organizations, and I am willing to travel or move if the position requires it. I am also available for public speaking and media interviews, I speak Spanish, English and French.