Rodrigo Diamanti
- Harvard University
- Universidad Ortega y Gasset
- Andrés Bello Catholic University
Rodrigo Diamanti is a Venezuelan human rights activist, who is the founder and president of Un Mundo Sin Mordaza, a human rights NGO. His work includes advocacy for freedom of expression, fundamental rights, and democratic values in Venezuela and other authoritarian regimes.
Career
In 2006, Diamanti obtained a bachelor's degree in economics from the Andrés Bello Catholic University in Caracas. His activism career began in 2007 when he co-founded the Venezuela Students Movement, which was established for transparent governance, freedom of expression and reconciliation in Venezuela.[1][2]
In 2008, he founded Futuro Presente, a non-profit organization focusing on mobilizing and educating young people on democratic values and rule of law in Venezuela; it received funding from the Cato Institute.[1][2] Futuro Presente ran a program called LIDERA in association with Venezuela's leading business school IESA.[3] Diamanti obtained a master's degree in political studies from Universidad Ortega y Gasset in Madrid in 2008.[4]
In May 2009, Diamanti founded Un Mundo Sin Mordaza, a non-governmental organization which promotes human rights and freedom of expression using artivism. He was detained during the 2014 Venezuelan protests,[5][6] as he was targeted by SEBIN agents as the creator of the global campaign SOS Venezuela.[7] Un Mundo Sin Mordaza has created several campaigns and mobilized volunteers in more than 100 cities in the world.[8]
Upon release from detention, Diamanti fled from Venezuela. In 2015, he joined the Harvard Kennedy School where he received an MPA degree, and later became a fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation as well as the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard Kennedy School.[9]
Since 2018, Diamanti has led the Crimes Against Humanity Observatory, a non-profit documenting human rights violations in Venezuela for the International Criminal Court. It was started as a joint project between Un Mundo Sin Mordaza and Defiende Venezuela.[10][11]
In 2019, Diamanti worked as a special representative of the interim government of Venezuela to the Republic of Italy. Diamanti was part of President Juan Guaido's delegation and oversaw diplomatic engagements with the Italian ministry as the official representative for Guaido.[12][13]
In 2020, Diamanti became the secretary of the Panel of Independent International Experts for Organization of American States, presenting reports on crimes against humanity in Venezuela and meeting with international bodies, NGOs and embassies.[14][15]
In 2020, Diamanti and Un Mundo Sin Mordaza created a campaign for the reinstatement of DirecTV signal in Venezuela, denouncing the attacks on freedom of expression in the country.[16]
In 2021, he was nominated for Campaign of the Year at Napolitan Victory Awards [es] for the Alza La Voz campaign.[17] In 2022, he received the Thomson Reuters Foundation TrustLaw Collaboration Award for his report on Venezuelans seeking refuge in other countries.[18]
As of 2023, Diamanti is the founder and chairman of the board at Freedom Academy, which trains activists in non-violent methods for challenging authoritarian regimes.[19]
Recognition
In 2012, Diamanti was recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Global Shaper.[20] In 2013, he received the Medal of Rome from the Mayor of Rome.[21] He was previously a senior fellow of Alliance of Youth Movements.[22] In 2019, he was named one of the Freedom Fellows by Human Rights Foundation.[23]
References
- ^ a b "Documents reveal multimillion-dollar funding to journalists and media in Venezuela". Venezuelanalysis. 15 July 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Arrest of Human Rights Advocate, Rodrigo Diamanti, Magnifies Abuses in Venezuela". HuffPost. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "Premios Futuro Presente reconoció trabajo de jóvenes líderes venezolanos". Runrun (in Spanish). 19 July 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "Rodrigo Diamanti: The Mood after the Venezuelan Elections". George W. Bush Presidential Center. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "Arrest of Human Rights Advocate, Rodrigo Diamanti, Magnifies Abuses in Venezuela". HuffPost. May 8, 2014. Retrieved Apr 9, 2020.
- ^ "Former AQ Contributor Detained in Venezuela, Later Released". www.americasquarterly.org. 14 October 2009. Retrieved Apr 9, 2020.
- ^ "Detenido el creador de la campaña 'SOS Venezuela'". ELMUNDO. May 8, 2014. Retrieved Apr 9, 2020.
- ^ "Defenders' Days" (PDF). Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "Rodrigo Diamanti". ash.harvard.edu. Retrieved Apr 9, 2020.
- ^ "Third Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review of Venezuela" (PDF). upr-info.org. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ Singer, Florantonia (12 April 2023). "'They pissed off the wrong mother': Venezuelan women organize for justice". EL PAÍS English. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "Vatican receives delegation from Venezuela's Guaido". AP News. 11 February 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "Venezuela crisis as seen from Rome". European News Agency. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "Panel de expertos de la OEA: En Venezuela persisten los crímenes de lesa humanidad y represión a la disidencia". Runrun (in Spanish). 29 November 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "Miembros". Panel de Expertos. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "Un Mundo Sin Mordaza emprende una campaña para el regreso de DirecTV a Venezuela". El Universal (in Spanish). 17 June 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "Nominados y Ganadores 2021". Napolitan Victory Awards. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "Un Mundo Sin Mordaza recibió Premio "Trusy Law 2022" por guía para migrantes venezolanos". Runrun (in Spanish). 10 June 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ "Freedom Academy". prezi.com. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "Rodrigo Diamanti". New Media (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ Rudz, Mike (28 March 2013). "Un Mundo Sin Mordaza in Venezuela Awarded Prestigious Medal of Rome". World Movement for Democracy. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "Global Shapers - WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM Annual Meeting 2014" (PDF). WEF. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "HRF announces the Freedom Fellowship". Human Rights Foundation. 21 May 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2024.