Over the next nine years, Marques and her mother would journey across Cuba, Sweden, Russia, and Panama to find a home before returning to Brazil, where Marques and her mother finally settled down for the first time in Marques’ memory.

A Spanish speaker from her time in Chile and Cuba, Marques initially  struggled to learn Portuguese and devoted most of her time to her studies. In high school, she earned a scholarship enabling her to attend the United World College in New Mexico, where she learned English from scratch.

After high school, Marques studied economics and held a part-time job teaching English in Brazil, where she first encountered Cavallaro.

AN ACTIVIST IS BORN

Leaving the Harvard bubble would open Cavallaro’s sights internationally—but first, he would begin at home.

Working for Mass. Representative Edward J. Markey while bartending at night, Cavallaro became increasingly interested in the causes and consequences of U.S. policy toward Central and South America. His newfound focus led him to the Annunciation House, a facility that helps poor migrants and political refugees along the U.S.-Mexico border. Provided with room, board, and a small stipend, Cavallaro worked with Central American refugees on asylum cases, leading him to become interested in using law to further human rights.

“For reasons beyond anything we can control, some people are less fortunate than others, but we have social structures that cause inequalities and we should work to empower those who are excluded,” Cavallaro says. “I started out wanting to do that domestically, and then as I became more informed about situations of injustice internationally, I became more involved.”

Cavallaro attended Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley, but he did not stay long. An opportunity came by for him to work for human rights organizations in Chile.

At the time, Chile was embroiled in an election where voters were to decide whether to grant Pinochet another eight years in office. Cavallaro regularly attended anti-Pinochet rallies, facing the wrath of police water cannons and once even being detained and threatened with immediate deportation.

On Oct. 5, 1988, Cavallaro witnessed history when 56 percent of the country voted against Pinochet. He then remained in Chile through March 1990 during the inauguration of the first democratically-elected president in more than a decade.

He returned to law school, earned his degree, and returned to his pursuit of international justice. This time, he worked for Human Rights Watch in Washington, D.C., eventually winning a grant to open offices for the organization and another NGO.

THE PAIR UNITES

After meeting Cavallaro, Marques began to volunteer for Human Rights Watch, where she became friends with many journalists, including a Washington Post chief based in Buenos Aires who offered her the unique opportunity to travel throughout South America and cover the ongoing political and economic developments there. Eventually, Marques became a special correspondent for the Post.

“Journalism is fascinating,” Marques says. “I’m a very curious person. I want to find out the truth.”

Marques worked with her husband to found a Brazilian human rights organization called Global Justice Center. Cavallaro headed the organization for several years before the couple would relocate to Cambridge, where Cavallaro began his work as associate director of the HLS Human Rights Program. Marques, though, travelled between Angola and Cambridge several times a year for Human Rights Watch to conduct research on freedom of speech and on resettlement issues.