Gabriela Vega Franco

Focus Areas

Gabriela Vega Franco is a Peruvian political scientist, democracy practitioner and action researcher dedicated to strengthening democratic governance, political innovation and constructive coexistence in highly polarized societies. She is the co-founder and Executive Director of RECAMBIO, a non-partisan democratic innovation organization that strengthens democratic culture through civic education, political leadership development and cross partisan collaboration. RECAMBIO accompanies citizens, party members, candidates, elected officials and civic leaders from diverse regions, identities and political ideologies throughout their leadership journeys, helping cultivate democratic practices across political and civic institutions.

Drawing on experience across government, civil society and media, Gabriela designs and tests practical solutions to democratic challenges by combining institutional practice, leadership development, research and public communication. She has served in the Advisory Cabinets of Peru’s Ministers of Economy and Finance and Culture, led the Political Analysis Unit at El Comercio and directed social innovation at Insitum Perú. She co-founded and served as Executive Director of Kunan, Peru’s leading platform for social and environmental entrepreneurship and led the Annual Best Practices in Public Management Award by Ciudadanos al Día.

Gabriela holds a Master’s degree in Government and Public Administration. Her research focuses on political parties, polarization and disinformation, with a particular interest in strengthening political organizations and state capacity by generating practical democratic knowledge rooted in real political experience.

She believes democracy is sustained not only by institutions, but also by trust, representation and self-restraint. Her purpose is to help create the conditions for more people to participate in public life with responsibility and hope.