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Laura Alonso

Latin America and the Caribbean Political and Public Leadership
Global Leadership Awards

When Laura Alonso was a young girl in Argentina, thousands of people began “disappearing” into thin air. For several years, the military dictatorship would wage a campaign of state terrorism against left-wing activists, guerillas and sympathizers. 

Bearing witness to the frightening potential of unchecked power, Laura’s early political consciousness formed around the notion that good governance meant being accountable to the citizenry. She joined a political party, and then a local public administration. But she grew frustrated by the corruption behind the opaque walls of government halls. 

Armed with a degree from the London School of Economics, Laura returned home to Argentina to put her political ideals into practice. She headed up Poder Ciudadano (Citizen Power) one of Argentina’s leading government watchdog organizations, before her election to Congress in 2008, where she represents Buenos Aires for the PRO Party.

Laura’s political activism reaches beyond Argentina’s borders. Through a partnership with Transparency International, Laura trains non-governmental organizations in Latin America and Southeast Asia on safe and effective government monitoring.

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