Orlando Gabriel Velázquez Pérez is from la Ciudad Gris, Humacao, Puerto Rico.
Orlando has over 12 years of experience working with communities, specifically underserved population, local and state government and non profit organizations on participatory action research in public health, social justice, inclusivity and equality. Orlando has worked with approaches such as advocacy, citizen participation, diversity, participatory democracy, self-sufficiency, educación popular, civism, self-determination, community organizing and outreach and systematization of experiences. Formerly, Orlando was the Director of the Citizen Participation and Cooperativism Institute in the City of Toa Baja.
Orlando holds a BA in Social Action Research (INAS by its Spanish acronym) from the University of Puerto Rico-Humacao, a JD from the University of Puerto Rico- Rio Piedras, and a MA in Citizenship and Human Rights: Ethics and Politics from the University of Barcelona-University of Girona. Currently Orlando is a Ph.D. candidate in the Law and Politics program at the Universitat de Barcelona.