Luis Arturo Sobalvarro, Deputy Chief of Party

Luis Sobalvarro is Democracy International’s Deputy Chief of Party in El Salvador. He is an accomplished election management professional with more than 15 years of experience in electoral administration and democracy assistance. Mr. Sobalvarro has managed election and democracy programs on behalf of USAID, the IFES, OAS, IRI and other organizations primarily in Latin America and post-conflict states. He has served as the lead technical advisor and liaison between various development organizations and election commissions in Peru, Uruguay, Panama, and most recently in Guatemala where he also served as Acting Chief of Party for an 18 month, $4 million dollar program. Mr. Sobalvarro will bring to this project highly relevant experience in working with countries implementing election reform, assisting civic education campaigns, and working with political parties.

Prior to Democracy International, Mr. Sobalvarro served as a program manager in the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) Center for Transitional & Post Conflict Governance. He managed multi-million dollar projects in Iraq, West Bank/Gaza, and Lebanon aimed at strengthening the capacity of election commissions, facilitating electoral reform initiatives and building the capacity of democratic institutions.

Experienced in designing voter education campaigns, Mr. Sobalvarro will advise on communications, outreach and voter education efforts for the TSE and citizen groups, including vulnerable electorate populations such as women, rural populations, and youth. Mr. Sobalvarro has prior experience in public relations, media management, training programs for municipal officials in communication strategy and implementation of civic education operations.

In Afghanistan, he was part of a political reconstruction program where he provided technical assistance and support to civil society organizations on civic education and other activities aimed at increasing citizen participation, particularly women and youth. Mr. Sobalvarro, for the same project, funded and managed two democracy advocacy and education organizations. In Paraguay, he also served as IFES mission spokesman, developed media strategy, and drafted press releases. Mr. Sobalvarro has also trained journalists and produced and directed electoral training TV series in numerous countries. Mr. Sobalvarro has excellent oral and written communication skills.

Mr. Sobalvarro is skilled in providing technical assistance to electoral administrative bodies and political parties regarding voter registry, ballot design, voting procedures, voting precincts, message development, and campaign activities. In Ecuador, Paraguay, and Uruguay, he has acted as a liaison between his organization, political parties, and candidates in Paraguay as well as a mediator in negotiation efforts between various political parties and the election commission. He is an excellent neutral actor, able to collaborate between all political parties, election administers, and candidates.

Mr. Sobalvarro holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and International Economics from American University. He is fluent in both Spanish and English.