Ilona Barrero is a project assistant at the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, where she contributes to the center’s work on Venezuela and the US Congress, in addition to other tasks. Throughout her time at the Council, she has provided important support to initiatives relating to transnational security in the Americas, such as the Atlantic Council’s Venezuela sanctions tracker.

Prior to her time at the Atlantic Council, Barrero worked as an intern in McLarty Associates’ Northern Latin America team, where she conducted research and analysis of public-policy, financial, and business trends impacting Latin American markets. Barrero was also an intern at the Organization of American States, where she contributed to the planning and execution of the 2024 Indigenous Peoples’ Week. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Barrero holds a Bachelor of Arts from the American University, where she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in international affairs and a concentration in peace and conflict resolution.