Latin American and the Caribbean - Featured Staff & Volunteer Legal Specialists
Ecuador
Carlos Arrobo joined the activities of the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in September 2004 as project manager of the Project to Combat Trafficking in Persons in Ecuador. The main objective of the project was to develop the three main responses to trafficking, prevention, prosecution and protection, to establish in Ecuador a system that is able to deal with this crime when it occurs. The efforts of the project were palpable in Ecuador and recognized in the US, as Ecuador was the first country to successfully jump from Tier 3 over Tier 2 Watch directly to Tier 2 in the US Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons. The position allowed me to put in practice all my interpersonal skills and my legal knowledge to serve my country against this terrible crime.
In January 2007, I started managing the second project initiated in Ecuador by the ABA, entitled “Criminal Justice, Ecuador,” which is already showing some excellent results and has for the first time in Ecuador integrated the three components of the criminal justice system: prosecutors, police and judges. Recently, the project held the First National Conference on the Ecuadorian Criminal Justice System that took place in four cities of Ecuador and incorporated at least 80% of the Ecuadorian criminal justice operators. This position is allowing me to go deep into the study of comparative law (Ecuadorian Criminal Justice System vs. US Criminal Justice System) and to bring forward for the benefit of Ecuador all this knowledge and dedication.
The most important thing that my work provides is an opportunity to collaborate with the experts that the ABA provides for Ecuador to work with a core of national experts and that have one goal in mind: to strength the rule of law in Ecuador and Latin America.
Luis A. Velez has been assisting the Latin America and Caribbean Division since 2004. He has provided advice and contacts in Ecuador for both the Project to Combat Trafficking in Persons and the Criminal Justice project. Because of his contacts with high level Ecuadorian officials through his legal work, both projects have received support from the highest levels of the judiciary and executive offices from the outset of the projects. He has also acted as a Member of the Board of Advisors of the Ecuador projects.
Luis received a Bachelor Degree in Political Sciences and J.D. from the Catholic University of Santiago in Guayaquil, Ecuador, a MBA from Central American Institute of Administration and Business and a L.L.M. from University of Miami in Comparative Law. He practices Business Law in Ecuador and International Business Planning for clients in Latin America. Luis served as Professor in Civil Code in the Catholic University of Santiago in Guayaquil, Arbiter in the Chamber of Commerce of Guayaquil and counsel for many individuals and entities in the region.
Mexico:
Wayne I. Fagan assisted the Mediation in Mexico project throughout its five-years. Wayne, a member of the ABA’s Dispute Resolution section, participated in the planning of the project from its inception and provided crucial contacts in the existing Mexican dispute resolution community to provide members of a stakeholders’ group. When the project grew and included several states and the project staff decided to visit the US to learn more about alternative dispute resolution, Wayne arranged for the Mexican participants to have a special track at the meeting of the Dispute Resolution meeting in San Antonio and also arranged for the group to visit San Antonio’s state of the art court-annexed mediation center and a local school where students are trained to mediate peer disputes. Wayne has a B.A. in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin, a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law and is a long-time member of the ABA, the State Bar of Texas, the Inter-American Bar Association and was the founder of the US-Mexico Bar Association. He speaks Spanish.
Arjan K. Shahani Moreno, Project Manager for Operations in Latin America
I was born in Monterrey, Mexico, a place I am proud to call home. In Monterrey, I studied International Relations at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey and graduated with honors.
I joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative's Latin America and Caribbean Division in August 2003, as the Project Administrator for the ABA/USAID Mediation in Mexico Project. Prior to joining the ABA, I worked for the Institute for International Mediation and Conflict Resolution, where I was responsible for the design and implementation of a program which provided mediation and negotiation tools to over 200 international students.
Working for the Mediation Project in Mexico was a great opportunity for me to assist my country in the development of a much needed tool which improved access to justice and to enhance the administration of justice in twenty-two of the thirty-two states of Mexico. My involvement in this project allowed me to learn from a wonderful array of both national and international colleagues, while coordinating efforts which resulted in the opening of thirty-eight court-annexed mediation centers and the training of more than 500 mediators.
On August 2006, the Mediation Project closed out having exceeded initial expectations and project objectives. Since then, I have continued working with the ABA Rule of Law Initiative's Latin America and Caribbean Division, providing logistics and programming support to different projects in the region. I am also responsible for the development and maintenance of all websites of projects that the ABA Rule of Law Initiative has in the region.
On July 2006, I received a 3 year service award from the ABA, in recognition for my work in the Mediation in Mexico Project.
Nicaragua
Maria Gertrudis Hernández Palacios, Alternative Dispute Resolution Consultant
I joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative team in January, 2007 as a consultant in developing commercial arbitration and mediation. This position has allowed me to draw on the education I received for my Master's Degree in Alternative Dispute Resolution from the University of Massachusetts – Boston and to build on my previous work for public and private mediation centers. My main duty as a consultant is enabling our partners in the public and private sectors to mature into successful ADR organizations. It is truly rewarding assist such organizations that have either experienced difficulties or are just getting started in the ADR field.
As part of my work, I have reviewed the Access to Public Information Law to harmonize this law and Nicaragua’s mediation and arbitration laws, especially in the area of confidentiality because of potential conflicts between the confidentiality of ADR procedures and the strict access to information provisions of the Access to Public Information law. In this regard, I had the opportunity to propose new motions for consideration in the final text of the law. In analyzing the law, I was also able to engage ADR sectors including: private and public mediation centres, academia, government institutions and civil society. I consulted these groups to share their points of view and reach consensus about conclusions.
Another part of my work focuses on writing proposed ADR codes and procedures. A fundamental objective of the project is to provide technical assistance and guidance to an in-country working group of organizations developing commercial mediation. I have also been coordinating an Inter-Institutional government committee that will administer the international mediation and arbitration procedures. My responsibility is to work with different government institutions to develop a common work plan that includes mediation and arbitration training activities.
It has been a great privilege to be part of the ABA team. Through this job, I have had the opportunity not only to contribute to the development of ADR mechanisms in Nicaragua, but also to meet with ADR representatives from the US and other countries.
