Born in Cali, Colombia, Mario Carvajal is a graduate of International Relations, with an emphasis on Security Studies, from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, D.C., Colombia. Before joining the LAC, Mario was one of the founders of the student movement Javerianos por La Paz that supported the peace agreement between the FARC and the Colombian government. He then was one of the co-founders of the Tejiendo País Colombia foundation, which sought to promote the active participation of young people from different perspectives and scenarios in the construction of peace in Colombia. Mario is also an adherent member of Sucursal, a non-profit organization that seeks to contribute to the social and economic development of Colombia through fostering access to education and opportunities.
Mario also worked as a contributor, mainly in the Latin America team, for Greenmantle, a macroeconomic and geopolitical advisory firm. He also writes a bi-monthly column for El País de Cali and is the founder and one of the panelists of La Causa Joven, a weekly debating program that deals with national and international political news. Mario will continue his studies at LSE, where he will pursue an MSc in International Political Economy starting in September 2022.