Institution
The School
The Hispanic School arises with the objective of consolidating a space for study, research and projection of the legacy of political thought of the Hispanic tradition, with special attention to its conception of freedom, law and political community. Since its creation, it has worked to vindicate the historical contribution of Spain and Portugal —and the Ibero-American world that originates from both— as an intellectual tradition of its own, capable of providing solid foundations for contemporary debates on sovereignty, political order and historical continuity.
Mission
To promote the study and renewal of Hispanic political thought, exploring the ideas and traditions that have shaped the notion of freedom in the Hispanic world. The Hispanic School seeks to build an intellectual community committed to rigorous research, dialogue, and the transmission of a shared political and historical legacy among Spain, Portugal, and Hispanic America.
Vision
To become an international reference in the study of Hispanic political thought and the tradition of freedom, helping this intellectual heritage illuminate contemporary challenges. We aspire to strengthen bonds among Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations through a shared understanding of their history, political philosophy, and future projection.
Foundations
Values
DEFENSE OF HISPANICITY, ITS LEGACY AND ITS FULL CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE
ACADEMIC RIGOR
CULTURE AND MEMORY
What We Do
Publications
We edit works, essays and unpublished documents from the Hispanic tradition.
View ArchiveWho We Are
Board of Directors
Alejandro Chafuen
HONORARY PRESIDENT
Alejandro A. Chafuen is a Senior Executive Fellow at the Acton Institute. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Atlas Network from 1991 to 2018 and currently chairs the Board of the Chase Foundation of Virginia. A graduate of Grove City College and the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina in Buenos Aires, he also holds a PhD in Economics, completed under the supervision of Dr Hans Sennholz, a distinguished student of Ludwig von Mises. Dr Chafuen is a frequent commentator on economics, security, and strategic threats in Latin America, as well as on the relationship between economics and ethics. He is a regular contributor to Forbes.com and the author of Faith and Liberty, a work that has been published in several languages and multiple editions, including Spanish, Slovenian, Chinese, Czech, Italian, and Portuguese. He is widely recognised as one of the world's leading authorities on the economic thought of the Thomist and Late Scholastic scholars. He served as President of the Philadelphia Society (2017–2018) and has been a member of the Mont Pèlerin Society since 1980.
Juan Ángel Soto Gómez
SECRETARY GENERAL
Born in Murcia, Spain, in 1992, he holds degrees in Business Administration and Management and Law from the University of Navarra, as well as in Political and Administrative Science from the National University of Distance Education (UNED). He earned a Master's degree in Political and Legal Theory from University College London (UCL) and is currently completing his doctoral thesis in Political Science at St Mary's University, Twickenham, London. In 2015, he founded Fortius Consulting, a strategic consultancy specialising in the third sector. The firm operates in Spain as well as across several European countries, the Americas, and Africa, with particular expertise in supporting think tanks. He has held a number of senior leadership positions, including Executive Director of Fundación Civismo (2018–2021) and International Director of Fundación Disenso (2021–2023). He is also a social entrepreneur and has founded numerous student and civic organisations, most notably Fundación Fortius and Fundación Principios, where he serves as President. He has published more than 200 articles in newspapers and specialist journals and also lectures at the University of Navarra.
André Azevedo Alves
ACADEMIC VICE-PRESIDENT
André Azevedo Alves is Professor at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, where he coordinates the Research Centre of the Institute for Political Studies in Lisbon and teaches across the Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral programmes in Political Science and International Relations. He is also a Reader in Economics, Political Economy, and Public Policy at St Mary's University, London, and is a member of the Benedict XVI Centre for the Study of Religion and Society. He holds a degree in Economics from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Porto, a Master's degree in Political Science from the Institute for Political Studies at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (IEP-UCP), and a PhD in Government from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Professor Alves has taught at a range of Portuguese and international institutions and previously served as Director of the Centre for Studies and Opinion Polls (CESOP-UCP). A member of the Mont Pèlerin Society, he serves on the editorial boards of Economic Affairs (United Kingdom) and MISES (Brazil). He has published extensively in the fields of political economy, public policy, political philosophy, and ethics.
Mª Idoya Zorroza Huarte
ACADEMIC VICE-PRESIDENT
María Idoya Zorroza Huarte is an Associate Professor at the Pontifical University of Salamanca, where she also serves as Director of the Institute of Ibero-American Thought. She earned her PhD in Philosophy from the University of Navarra in 2001 and is accredited by ANECA. Her academic expertise lies in the history of Spanish philosophy, both classical and contemporary, with a particular focus on the School of Salamanca. Her research centres on the anthropology of justice and the thought of leading figures such as Francisco de Vitoria and Francisco Suárez. Professor Zorroza Huarte has coordinated numerous collective publications, participated in national and international research projects, including projects funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN), and has served as a visiting professor at universities in Peru and Kenya.
León Gómez Rivas
ACADEMIC VICE-PRESIDENT
León Gómez Rivas is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the European University of Madrid, where he has taught courses in Economic History and Economic Thought since 1991. He holds a PhD in Modern History from the Complutense University of Madrid, awarded for his 1990 thesis, The Viceroy of Peru, Don Francisco de Toledo, and a second PhD in Economics and Business from the same university. His doctoral thesis, completed in 2004, examined The School of Salamanca, Hugo Grotius, and Economic Liberalism in Great Britain. His research focuses on the political and economic thought of the Second Spanish Scholastic tradition, with particular emphasis on the School of Salamanca. Professor Gómez Rivas is a member of the Mont Pèlerin Society, the Diego de Covarrubias Centre, and several academic associations. He has collaborated with the Francisco Marroquín University in Guatemala on the Sitio Escolástico project and is the author of several publications, including Don Diego de Covarrubias (Unión Editorial, 2022).
Carroll Ríos de Rodríguez
ACADEMIC VICE-PRESIDENT
Carroll Ríos de Rodríguez is a Guatemalan economist and university lecturer specialising in the economic analysis of public policy, economic development, and history. She holds a Master's degree in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., United States. She teaches Public Choice at the Institute for Political Studies and International Relations at Francisco Marroquín University (UFM). She is also the co-founder and President of the Faith and Liberty Institute, an organisation dedicated to promoting human flourishing through individual liberty and Judeo-Christian principles. Her research focuses on comparative politics, history, and economic development. She is the author of Financial Crisis, Populism, and the Road to Prosperity in Latin America. Dr Ríos de Rodríguez serves on the Board of Directors of the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CEES), the Family, Development and Population Association (FADEP), and is a member of the Mont Pèlerin Society.
Advisory Council
Rita Seabra Brito
COUNCIL MEMBER
Rita Seabra Brito is Director of the Estoril Political Forum – The International Annual Meetings in Political Studies at the Institute for Political Studies of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (IEP-UCP) in Lisbon. She holds a Master's degree in Political Science, with a dissertation entitled The Free and Virtuous Society in the Thought of John Paul II. As part of the IEP-UCP exchange programme, she was a visiting student at St Antony's College, University of Oxford, supported by a scholarship from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. She is an Associate Researcher at the Research Centre of the Institute for Political Studies (CIEP) and has served as a Teaching Assistant since 2010, working alongside Professor Manuel Braga da Cruz on the undergraduate courses Political Systems and Regimes and Political Parties. In 2006, she attended the month-long Tertio Millennio Seminar on the Free Society in Kraków, Poland, organised by the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. Her principal research interests include Catholic Social Teaching, political systems and regimes, and political parties. She is also a member of the Board of Patrons of the +Liberdade Institute.
José Manuel Moreira
COUNCIL MEMBER
He holds degrees and doctorates in both Economics and Philosophy and is Professor Emeritus of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Aveiro. He previously served as Director of the Master in Public Administration, a joint programme offered by the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) and the University of Aveiro (UA). Throughout his academic career, he has played a leading role in introducing and promoting four major fields of study in Portugal: business and economic ethics, the Austrian School of Economics, public choice theory, and governance and public policy. In addition to his academic work, he is an active columnist and public speaker. He also collaborates with the Institute for Political Studies at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (IEP-UCP) and teaches on the Ethics and Professional Conduct course organised by the Portuguese Order of Engineers (Southern Region). He is the author of more than 150 books and scholarly articles published in both Portuguese and international journals. He is a member of the Mont Pèlerin Society, the Board of Patrons of the +Liberdade Institute, and previously served on the governing bodies of the Portuguese Political Science Association.
Fernán Altuve-Febres Lores
COUNCIL MEMBER
Fernán Altuve-Febres Lores (Lima, 1968) is a Peruvian lawyer, historian, and politician. He is an Honorary Academician of the Royal Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation of Spain and a Corresponding Member of the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences in Madrid. Since 2015, he has served as President of the Peruvian Society of History and the Ugarte del Pino Foundation. He holds a degree in Law from the University of Lima and completed both a Master's degree and a PhD in Philosophy at the National University of San Marcos (UNMSM). He has taught at universities and military academies throughout his academic career. Admitted to legal practice in 1993, he is recognised as one of Peru's leading arbitrators. He also served as a Member of the Peruvian Congress (2000–2001) and as a Councillor for the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima (2010–2014). He is the author of several books, including The Crownless Monarchy and The Conservatives, and is widely recognised for his contributions to conservative political thought.
Pedro López Arriba
COUNCIL MEMBER
Pedro López Arriba, born in Madrid in 1956, holds degrees in Law and Philosophy from the Autonomous University of Madrid and has held various positions of responsibility on the Governing Board of the Ateneo de Madrid. He currently serves as Librarian Member of the Governing Board of the Ateneo Científico, Literario y Artístico de Madrid, a position he has held since 2023. He previously served as Treasurer (2008–2012) and First Vice-President (2012–2016) of the Governing Board. In addition, he chaired the Legal and Political Sciences Section of the Ateneo on numerous occasions between 2009 and 2020. He has been a regular contributor to publications including Entreletras.eu and El Catoblepas. In 2023, he was elected as Librarian Member during the renewal of the Governing Board, alongside the newly elected President, Luis Arroyo.
Business Committee
Víctor González Coello de Portugal
BUSINESS COMMITTEE
Víctor Guido González Coello de Portugal is a distinguished Spanish businessman and former Member of the Congress of Deputies. Born in Madrid in 1975, his international upbringing—having lived in France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, and the United States—has given him a broad global outlook and a strong understanding of geopolitics. He holds a double degree in Business Administration and Management from public universities in Madrid, together with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in European Business from the University of Portsmouth. His academic background also includes studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), as well as a Master's degree in Finance from CUNEF, where he served as Chairman of the Alumni Association until 2008. He later completed the Executive MBA programme at IESE Business School (Class of 2004). Before beginning his professional career, he completed his military service with the Parachute Brigade of the Spanish Army (BRIPAC), having previously received military training at Culver Military Academy in the United States during his school years. With more than 20 years of senior management experience, González Coello de Portugal has built a distinguished career in investment banking, corporate finance, and business development within multinational companies. He began his career in Corporate Finance at UBS before holding senior positions at Argentaria/BBVA and Ebro Foods. During this time, he led mergers and acquisitions valued at more than US$3 billion. He later became an entrepreneur, specialising in the acquisition and restructuring of companies undergoing generational succession or facing operational challenges, developing extensive expertise in corporate turnaround and crisis management. He currently serves as Executive Director at MPR. He has delivered presentations at many of the world's leading financial centres, including New York, London, Frankfurt, Geneva, Singapore, Boston, and Chicago, engaging directly with some of the largest international investment funds. In public life, González Coello de Portugal served as a Member of the Spanish Congress of Deputies for VOX, representing the constituency of Salamanca. He held several senior leadership positions within the party, including Vice-President, and served as spokesperson on key parliamentary committees covering the economy, foreign affairs, defence, and national security. His parliamentary work contributed significantly to the development of the party's strategic positions on economic and international policy. Internationally, he has addressed legislative bodies including the Parliament of Romania, the Congresses of Guatemala and Peru, the Senate of Mexico, the Latin American Parliament, and the United States Senate. His commitment to democratic values and human rights has led him to meet peacefully with opposition leaders persecuted by authoritarian regimes. As a result of these activities, he has been officially expelled from Bolivia and banned from entering the country for three years, detained and questioned in Venezuela, and refused entry to both Nicaragua and Cuba. These measures were taken in response to his public support for, and peaceful meetings with, members of the democratic opposition in those countries. Beyond business and politics, González Coello de Portugal is actively involved in humanitarian initiatives, providing mentoring and support to advocates of freedom and persecuted Christians in various parts of the world. Married and the father of nine children, he regards his family as the cornerstone of both his personal and public life, inspiring his commitment to a freer, more prosperous, and sovereign Spain. He has written extensively for leading publications, including Expansión, Vozpópuli, El Economista, El Confidencial, and Libertad Digital in Spain, El Expreso in Ecuador and Peru, as well as a range of publications across Panama, Colombia, and other countries. He has also maintained close relationships with conservative political leaders throughout the Americas—from Canada to Argentina—and across Europe.
Team
Jorge Machín Mezher
DIRECTOR, HISPANIC SCHOOL
Jorge Alejandro Machín Mezher (1997) holds a PhD in Law from the University of Navarra, awarded with the distinction of Outstanding (Cum Laude) and an International Mention. He is a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy of Law at the University of Navarra and serves as Associate Director of the Master's Programme in Human Rights. He graduated Cum Laude in Law in Venezuela before completing a Master's degree in Human Rights and a Diploma in Moral Theology at the University of Navarra. His academic work lies at the intersection of constitutional theory, moral philosophy, and the classical legal tradition, with particular emphasis on proportionality, the principle of double effect, and contemporary debates concerning conflicts of rights. He is the author of The Debate on Conflicts Between Rights (Tirant lo Blanch, 2025) and has conducted research on the rationality of balancing, the ethics of human action, and the philosophical foundations of legal reasoning. He has undertaken research visits at the University of Notre Dame (United States) and the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (Rome), and serves on the Scientific Review Committee of the legal journal Persona y Derecho.
Ángel Carrión Tavárez
ACADEMIC DIRECTOR
Ángel Carrión-Tavárez is an editor, educator, and multidisciplinary researcher with extensive experience in journalism, publishing, and academia. He founded and edited Panorama 21, a journal on economics and public policy published in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. He has also served as Director of the business weekly Caribbean Business and as Editor-in-Chief and Chairman of the Editorial Board of the peer-reviewed journal Fórum Empresarial. In recognition of his contributions to business journalism, he received the Teodoro Moscoso Special Award for Business Journalism from the Overseas Press Club in 2006 and the UNESCO Medal of Excellence in Journalism in 2005. At the University of Puerto Rico, he has held a number of academic and leadership positions, including Academic Coordinator of the Certificate in Editing and Publishing Arts, Lecturer in Business and Regional Geography, and Director of the Centre for Commercial Research and Academic Initiatives. He holds a PhD in Economic and Territorial Integration and Development from the University of León (Spain), a Master's degree in Humanities from California State University, and a Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico.
Gonçalo Nabeiro
COORDINATOR IN PORTUGAL
Born in Campo Maior, Portugal, in 2001, he graduated in Political Science and International Relations from the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences at NOVA University Lisbon. He is currently the International Editor of the newspaper Nascer do SOL, where he writes a weekly column and contributes a number of journalistic articles. He also holds a Master's degree in International Economics and European Studies from ISEG – Lisbon School of Economics and Management, University of Lisbon. He is also an occasional contributor to the Oficina da Liberdade column published in Observador.
David Cruz de la Torre
COORDINATOR IN THE U.S.
Based in Puerto Rico, he is a public policy specialist with a transatlantic perspective and a strong commitment to promoting freedom and human dignity. Educated at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), David has experience in data analysis, programme evaluation, and operational management within the field of behavioural economics. Inspired by his Puerto Rican heritage and intellectual values, he seeks to contribute to strengthening the Hispanic legacy through initiatives that promote progress and international cooperation.
Fernando Egaña Montero
PROJECTS & ACADEMIC MEMBERS MANAGER
Fernando Egaña Montero is a student of Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at the University of Navarra, where he is a member of the Finance Club, the Consulting Club, the Political Thought Club, and the Debate Club. He has been the Public Speaking Champion of the Community of Madrid, runner-up in the regional debating tournament, and winner of the Universidad Carlos III debating tournament. His profile combines a strong interest in public institutions, business, finance, and political thought with a genuine commitment to service. He has completed more than 400 hours of voluntary work in Spain, South Africa, Cameroon, and Peru, undertaking logistical and operational leadership responsibilities across a range of projects. At Escuela Hispánica, he contributes to the development of initiatives aimed at strengthening cultural, educational, and institutional ties between the Hispanic world, Europe, and the Americas. He is responsible for projects and academic members.
Academic Members
Researchers and academics who participate in the intellectual life of the School.
We are 73 members from 15 countries.
The list is updated periodically.
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