Cruz has diverse experience working in research, communications, and organizing in the U.S. and Latin America. His writing has focused on policy and the intersection of oppression in Latin America and the Latin American diaspora and has appeared in various national and international publications. Prior to joining RAN, Cruz served as an Ethnic Affairs Officer with the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, where he worked to ensure the representation of Indigenous and Afro-Colombian peoples in the implementation of Colombia’s Peace Agreement.

Cruz holds a BA in Geography from the Ohio State University and a MA in Latin American and Latino Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago. In 2021 he was awarded a Fulbright Research Scholarship to conduct research on the Peace Process and Agrarian Reform in Colombia.

He currently lives in Bogotá, Colombia but loves to travel. In his free time Cruz likes to hike, read, write, and listen to reggaetón. He looks forward to joining RAN and continuing to fight to make the world a better place.