Interview with LOLA Latin America Leaders
Get to know the women behind LOLA in Latin America and how they grew to be LOLAs fastest growing region. Leaders from Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Guatemala, and more share their stories in this interview covered by the Colombia media.
Find the original article covered by Colombian newspaper Alponiente: in Spanish HERE
The original article was written by Cristian Toro.
ALEJANDRA MORENO GIRALDO – Political Activist, Engineer, LOLA Medellín (Colombia) Leader
Alejandra Moreno, only a quarter of a century old, has a lot on her – I feel old and eclipsed with all these brilliant women – whom I have the honor and privilege of meeting for about four (4) years. Currently, she works as a public image analyst for different political organizations; and has focused on understanding the needs and desires of our society (in Colombia) through data science to transform them into a truthful change, by action and work. Alejandra has been a member of LOLA since 2019, and in 2021 she started the Local Social Chapter of LOLA in Medellin (Colombia), focusing on providing skills that allow people to live more freely.
“I embraced liberal feminism because this is the genuine one, because I understand that individuality is something that should not be killed, now less than ever! And today it must exist because, unfortunately, inequality before the law is something that is still a reality, and which we must still face with a lot of educational work and a lot of patience. The legal inequality, curious and paradoxically, is even more evident within collectivism, where equality is supposed to be its maxim and imperative cause”, she pointed out once we conclude our conversation. In fact, none of this would have been possible without her management. Thanks for everything Alejandra! Especially for your patience. Alejandra Moreno is one of the best promoters of freedom in Colombia –little known, for now–, because she does so from her professional work and her personal life; she is a living and real example of a free individual.
VALENTINA ZENOCRATI – Businesswoman, Freedom Activist, LOLA Mendoza (Argentina) Leader
Valentina, 21, owns a business of two (2) companies that favor the recycling of iron and glass in her country of Argentina; Commendable work, since Argentina is a country where being an entrepreneur is basically suicide, because of the high tax burden that exists and the persecution that the State makes to these every day. She is also a student of Economics and has been involved with the ideas of freedom from a very young age; she began working with SFL Argentina and with different liberal-inspired parties since she was 18 years old. Now, she is linked as a former member of a student organization called UPAU, which disseminates classical liberalism within several national universities of Argentina. She directs the Local LOLA Social Chapter of Mendoza, Argentina.
“In a country where defending oneself against criminals is considered an excessive and selfish act; where being an entrepreneur and helping others to do something good or seek to get afloat by their own means is frowned upon even by your neighbor; where to be a woman, which is not even chosen, is not that it is the big thing; i decided to manage it in the best way i can: without victimizing myself and with my work. Not in vain, now I lead LOLA Mendoza, and I continue looking for women with whom I can work shoulder to shoulder for freedom, and with whom I can even learn more. Someone has to do it, right?”, says Valentina.
AGUSTINA SOSA – Journalist & Social Communicator, Political Science professional, Political activist and Founder of LOLA Argentina
Agustina Sosa is one of those people with whom you can spend an entire evening, in the moonlight and drinking a glass of good wine. She prefers not to use labels, since she does not consider herself absolutely brilliant –although, for sure, I do believe that she is–, defining herself as a “constant learner”. She began to get involved with the ideas of freedom at a very young age through political think-tanks, which led her to develop two of her great passions: politics and freedom. She is a native from the Santiago del Estero province, but currently resides in Buenos Aires (CABA), where she works in politics.
“Argentina was probably the country in the region (Latin America) that suffered the most from the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the dismal measures undertaken by our political leaders and because incorrect ideas reign in the environment. Starting from this, and for many other reasons, I believe that the best thing I can do is to be there, in politics, looking for one mind at a time, because from the outset not everyone buys you what you sell them, understand that freedom is the way, and that freedom will always go hand in hand with responsibility”. Probably, Agustina, will soon join our media, since there is much to teach us, those of us inside, and many other people.
ESTELA MARTÍNEZ VALDEZ – Political activist, Founder LOLA Guatemala City chapter in Guatemala
This beautiful 21-year-old young woman, with firm positions, a strong tone of voice and a challenging gaze, is a Global Affairs student at the Francisco Marroquín University (UFM), certified in more than ten (10) humanitarian areas and with more than seven (7) ) years of work experience in national and international organizations. She is also the founder and National Director of LOLA Guatemala and the Oleada Feminista movement, and an anti-corruption and anti-impunity activist in her country. She firmly believes that change begins with individuals who are willing to create it: one of the many reasons why she loves challenges. The message that marked me from the interview with her was:
“Guatemala is a beautiful country, a Central American paradise that enjoys climates and landscapes that may not be comparable, but with underlying cultural problems, where legal inequality, violence and other unpleasant situations, simply because they are occurring every day, politicians and the same people treat them as if they were normal. Really, does it seem normal to you that a woman should ask her husband for permission to receive certain types of medical assistance? Does a robbery in broad daylight seem normal to you, you tell the Police and they don’t do it? Nothing? Does it seem normal to you that a young indigenous woman is raped by her stepfather, even by other members of her family, and no one in her community or around her does anything for her? Sorry, but it’s not normal for me. As difficult as it may be for me to insist on working for a new Guatemala and opening the door for other women to see that there are other options, other ideas, and that the changes begin with ourselves, because we are what we think, then I will continue to do so without hesitation.”
JOANNA GABRIELA GUERRA – Philosopher, Activist, Teacher, Co-founder of LOLA CDMX and LOLA Mexico Chapter
Joanna Gabriela Guerra, “La Chilanga” – for being a native of CDMX-, beyond her beautiful smile, has a PhD in Complexity Sciences from Dartmouth College and is director of Federalismo y Libertad; She is also a philosopher, and a university and secondary school teacher. She has a culture and a level of debate that few have, apart from the fact that he speaks English perfectly. She was one of the people with whom, along with Catalina Saire, Agustina Sosa and Valentina Zenocrati, I developed the most connection, and whose attitude always invites us not to give up at anything, regardless of how complex and adverse the situations may be. Her motto, from the first moment I met her, was:
“The basis of society is the truth,” to which she added as she progressed: “Look, there is a lot to do in Mexico, no matter how advanced it seems to be for many.” find at a cultural level, in clear contrast, with other nations in the region, in addition to the fact that it is not so opportune to generalize, and where like it or not, machismo continues to be relevant, and where emotions still do not find balance with reason. That is why we have a President like AMLO. What we do at LOLA Mexico is to educate: educate from facts, from reality and from everything that is true, because as I already said, the foundation of society is the truth; You cannot do any type of favor or transfer if your starting point is not the truth.”
CATALINA SAIRE – Future Lawyer, Liberal Activist, International Columnist and National Director of LOLA Chile
Catalina Saire calls herself a “leguleya”, although I think she does so ironically, because if she is a leguleya, then I have hair and I’m blonde. With a tender but scrutinizing look, she is a liberal activist, and a columnist and researcher for Cedice Libertad and various media, which recently joined El Bastión and Al Poniente, as she had already said. She is a last-year law student at San Sebastián University (Santiago Chile), with diplomas in Political Strategies for Public Policies (Universidad de Chile) and in Strategic Management Control (Centro de Estudios Estratégicos y de Negocios). She bears the responsibility, but beautiful work of being the National Director of LOLA Chile. Catalina, throughout the conversation, stressed that populism is here to stay for a long time in Latin America. Perhaps one of the few people who has understood that in his native country, Chile, the advance of the most recalcitrant left, the so-called “penguin revolution” and the Boric phenomenon were due, in part, to the bad decisions of his predecessors in the Government and the Pinochet legacy.
“Imposing freedom at gunpoint, terror and oppression is not the way, because it goes against its essence. That is why so much anger and hatred are perceived in many of the Chileans,” she said. “We continue in the work of making more women know us. That is why my strategy is to go as far as possible by creating strong bonds of brotherhood, so that women do not feel alone and that they feel that they have a place where they can find support: that place is called the ideas of freedom. Women and all of us must address ourselves differently and promote active representatives of integrity: strong leadership that is maintained but without developing messianisms, and that can face the doubts that arise from social suspicion, so that it can build on what already exists and improve it. ”, she finished.
SABRINA RIVEIRO – International Analyst, Political Activist and Co-founder of LOLA Montevideo and LOLA Uruguay Chapter
Sabrina Riveiro, 26 years old, she has a degree in International Studies from ORT University. Nowadays, she is the head of the International Affairs Division of the National Directorate of Education of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Uruguay, and is the executive director of a charitable foundation for children with hemophilia at the largest pediatric hospital in her country . She was elected as Director of Youth for the National Party, she serves as a member of the International Relations Commission of said movement and is, jointly, adviser to a Senator of the Republic. Sabrina, who called me special attention for her kindness and willingness to deal with issues that are her concern and passion, founded LILA Uruguay (Liga de Liberales Asociadas, name by which she calls herself LOLA Uruguay, as a matter of avoiding duplication with other organizations). together with her friend and co-worker, María José Fernández, in January 2020. Sabrina has helped lead the planning of multiple and successful events in Uruguay, whose purpose is to work to educate and support Uruguayan women in the development of their personal and professional lives. A staunch critic of radical or left-wing feminism, she defends tooth and nail the ideas of freedom, both in her private and public life. At the time, she joked as a way of boasting with me about the good work of the current president of his country, Luis Lacalle Pou, and emphasized that, although he and some other political leaders, have carried out concrete actions in favor of the individual, added to the awareness that has been developed in the population and other elements that characterize Uruguay as possibly the best country in the region, the work should not be considered finished.
“Remember that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, and no matter how things go in the right direction, you have to continue and persevere. This, in fact, is just the beginning!”, Sabrina says.
HOLLY JEAN SOTO – LOLA Programs Director
Barely 30 years old, Holly studied Economics at George Mason University (Washington, D.C.) whose faculty is most focused on the free market in the whole world. She defines herself as a freedom lover and a “Floridian-New Yorker” (she is American-Colombian). While earning her degree, she worked for freedom-promoting organizations such as the Institute for Human Studies and the Mercatus Center, linked to her alma mater. She discovered LOLA shortly after graduating in 2016, an organization she is deeply in love with and to which she has become dedicated to. Her goal is to support libertarian women across the globe, encouraging them not only to explore more about the ideas, but to use the ideas to become better individuals. The phrase that remains of the conversation with her:
“With the majority of women on the political spectrum on the left and because libertarian women tend to be more empathetic than libertarian men, this is why we say women are the best ambassadors of liberty.”