Gimena Sanchez

Gimena Sanchez-Garzoli has advocated for human rights, against racism, and for peace for over 25 years. Currently, she is the Director for the Andes at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), an independent organization advocating for human rights and justice within the U.S. foreign policy framework. There, Gimena directs the work of Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina. For over five years, she directed the Haiti work. For over 19 years, she has brought to Washington the voices of people affected by U.S. policies in the region: Afro-descendants, Indigenous people, women, LGBTQ+, trade unionists, victims, and displaced persons. Her work focuses on dismantling illegal armed groups, promoting peace agreements and anti-racism measures, protecting social leaders, seeking justice for atrocities, and defending labor rights. She formerly worked on internal displacement in Africa, Asia, and Latin America at the Brookings Institution, which housed the mandate of the UN Representative of the Secretary General for Internally Displaced Persons, Francis M. Deng of Sudan. As U.S. representative for Peace Brigades International Colombia Project, she also advocated for and physically accompanied human rights defenders and internally displaced communities in the Choco, Antioquia, Magdalena Medio, and Bogota. Gimena has also worked with New York State’s Attorney General’s office, New York City Mayor’s office, Amnesty International USA, UMCOR, the American Red Cross, and the U.S. Committee for Refugees. She founded and ran the SAIS Refugee Forum for over seven years.