Rafael Uzcátegui is a senior fellow at WOLA specializing in democracy in the region. As a sociologist, human rights defender, communicator, and independent editor, Rafael lends his expertise to advise WOLA on public policy strategies around democracy.
From 2015 to 2023, Rafael was the Director of PROVEA, a Venezuelan nonprofit organization that investigates human rights violations, supports victims and their families, promotes respect for the rule of law and democracy in Venezuela, and more. Most recently, Rafael is the co-director at the Laboratorio de Paz and holds an advanced technical degree in Advertising and Marketing from IUTIRLA.
As a sociologist, his research and interest areas are Democracies and Authoritarianisms, Social Movements, and Cultural Studies. As a human rights defender, he has experience in Economic, Social, Cultural, and Environmental Rights (ESCR), nonviolence, and the right to not participate in wars and armies. He has been part of various activist networks and coalitions. Additionally, he has been an opinion columnist in different media outlets. He recently published a book “Rebellion Beyond the Left: A Post-Ideological Approach for Democratic Transition in Venezuela”.
