Rodrigo París Rojas

Rodrigo started his journey with Barefoot 10 years ago as a volunteer in India, he then worked seven years as Head of Operations for Latin America & The Caribbean and from 2020 to 2024 was Barefoot International’s CEO. He has had an extensive career in seven countries and three continents: as social worker, journalist, and diplomat. He has a BA in Political Science and Journalism from Javeriana University in Colombia, an MA in International Relations from Complutense University in Spain and candidate to PhD in International Relations from Univeristat Autònoma in Barcelona.

He is an extraordinary connector and traveller with a passion for promoting humanitarianism to empower people in rural areas, understanding access to energy as a clear sign of freedom and working on environmental protection as the only way to imagine a better future for new generations. As a journalist he received two prestigious awards in the United States following his work with CNN in Atlanta and Rumbo Newspapers in Texas, focusing on stories on migration. For four years, between 2008 - 2012, he served as a diplomat for the Embassy of Colombia in the United Kingdom and helped the government to secure the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and Colombia and the bilateral agreement to protect the Chiribiquete National Park. In 2015, he was selected by the government in his native country, as one of the top 100 Colombians. Since 2013, he is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.