Pedro Urruchurtu Noselli

Pedro Urruchurtu Noselli is a Venezuelan political scientist, university professor, and pro-democracy activist with extensive experience in democratic advocacy, political strategy, and international relations. He serves as International Relations Director and Senior Foreign Affairs Advisor to María Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and the ConVzla campaign, as well as International Affairs Coordinator for Vente Venezuela. In these roles, he has coordinated engagement with governments, international organizations, political leaders, think tanks, and civil society across the Americas and Europe. He also serves as Coordinator of Political Parties at the Liberal Network of Latin America (RELIAL), where he previously held the position of Vice President.

In March 2024, amid politically motivated charges and the threat of imminent arrest, Urruchurtu sought asylum in the Argentine Embassy in Caracas alongside other members of the Venezuelan opposition. He became a target of political persecution by the Maduro regime and was held hostage for 412 days inside the diplomatic residence, which was subjected to an effective siege by Venezuelan security forces, including surveillance, intimidation, and restrictions on basic services. In May 2025, he escaped to safety in the United States through a high-risk international operation. Since regaining his freedom, he has testified before the UN Human Rights Council on the regime’s use of diplomatic sieges as a tool of political repression and appeared at the Oslo Freedom Forum just two weeks after his escape, marking his first public event since his release. He continues to work alongside María Corina Machado toward a democratic transition in Venezuela, advocating for the recognition of Edmundo González Urrutia as the country’s legitimate president and for the release of political prisoners.

Urruchurtu holds a Magna Cum Laude degree in Political Science and Administrative Studies from the Central University of Venezuela. He is a 2016 alumnus of Georgetown University’s Global Competitiveness Leadership Program (GCL) and a 2026 Fisher Family Summer Fellow at Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL).