Dr. Arauz is an academic and policy researcher with expertise in money and technology, government procurement, development planning macroeconomics, illicit financial flows, and finance. He has authored several CEPR reports on Special Drawing Rights and Latin American economies.

He also has a broad policy background and experience in Ecuadorian government and electoral politics: he has served as Central Bank balance of payments statistician, financial policy advisor at the Ministry of Economic Policy, Chief Operating Officer at the Central Bank, Under Secretary for Public Investment, Deputy Secretary for Planning at the National Planning Secretariat, General Director of the Public Procurement Agency, and Minister of Knowledge and Human Talent. He has been a finalist presidential and vice presidential Candidate.

He has also participated in international negotiations at the World Trade Organization, the Andean Community, MERCOSUR, UNASUR, and with the European Union, among others. Dr. Arauz has participated in civil society fora at the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund.

He has written reports and articles for several civil society organizations on tax justice, economic and social human rights, investor-state dispute settlement, and financial transparency. He supports cooperative rural financial associations in Latin America and advises technology companies on monetary and financial issues. He is regularly invited to conferences and seminars organized by think tanks in Latin America, Europe, and the United States. He is currently based in Ecuador.

Dr. Arauz is a University of Michigan alum and has a FLACSO-Ecuador master’s. He obtained his PhD in Financial Economics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico.