EUVP visit story - Cecilia Bolívar Corrillo

Are you considering applying for an EUVP visit? Ever wondered how the EUVP programmes are organised and what their outcomes are? Follow the “EUVP visit stories”, featuring unique reports and testimonials from those who have joined us at the heart of the EU!

Cecilia Bolívar Corrillo is a lawyer and human rights advocate from Bolivia. Previously the Chef de Cabinet of the Bolivian Ministry for Justice, she held the position of Departmental Director of the Procuraduría General del Estado (Attorney General’s office) upon visiting the EU institutions with the EUVP, in June 2015.

Ms Bolívar Corrillo’s visit included several days in Strasbourg, during which she observed debates in the European Parliament’s plenary session. She met several Members of the European Parliament from political groups active in the Delegation for Relations with Countries of the Andean Community, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality and the EU Delegation to Latin America. She also met with the Vice-Chair of the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly as well as officials from the legal Division of the European Court of Human Rights.

Her visit to Brussels was Ms Bolivar Corrillo’s first-ever trip to a European country, something the EUVP is proud to have played a role in facilitating. She later went on to establish her own non-profit foundation, Ivi Maraei, upon her return to Bolivia. Ivi Maraei (‘Land Without Evil’ in the Guarani language) focuses on securing peace and restorative justice for disadvantaged communities in Bolivia, which, she noted, was partially inspired by similar procedures in the European Union. The organization represents vulnerable populations, including young children, adolescents, the elderly and the disabled, as well as other marginalized groups.

Ms Bolivar Corrillo also works in a consultative capacity with the Italian non-profit organization Progettomondo Mlal, which fosters projects designed to protect human dignity in Latin America and Africa through reform of the justice system for adolescents.

Ms Bolívar Corrillo cites her visit to the EU as an important factor in enhancing her understanding of the processes for human rights protection in Europe. To would-be EUVP candidates, she kindly offered the following advice (based on her experience): 

“Make the most of this great opportunity, because in addition to acquiring knowledge, the experience of stepping on European soil exposes a tradition of learning that inspires desire for personal and professional growth. More than just touring institutions, this experience unveils the personal accounts of its figures, which is palpable in every last interview, meeting, and daytrip”.

If you would like to follow the path of Ms Bolívar Corrillo, and become an EUVP participant, please contact the EU Delegation in your country to express interest.