After being elected in the recent, year 2015 elections, Rodrigo Avila is currently a second time Representative at the Salvadorian National Assembly, where he is one of the Vice-Presidents, and Rapporteur of the Public Security and Drug Enforcement Committee; he is a Consultant for Multi-National Corporations, and International Agencies. Until recently, and before running for the National Assembly, he was the Security Advisor for the Mayor of El Salvador’s Capital City, San Salvador.

He was Director General of the Salvadorian National Civilian Police (PNC), in two different occasions, in the years 1994 to 1999, and 2006 to 2008; he also served as the Police’s Deputy Chief of Administration and Deputy Chief of Operations, Vice Minister of Public Safety, Representative at the National Assembly and Secretary of its Public Security and Drug Enforcement Committee (2000 – 2003).

He lead the Operational Deployment of the newly founded Civilian Police, that resulted after the 1992 Peace Accords, and replaced the old military police forces. During his administration, the PNC grew to have a force of more than 22,000 members, that had to face the post traumatic effects of war; and took over preventive and investigative duties, and others such as transit, customs, environmental and treasury policing. This last aspect, due to the fact that the Salvadorian Constitution dictates that the PNC is the sole country’s police agency. In 1998, according to surveys, the PNC managed to be considered the most prestigious and trusted public institution in the country.

He was a Presidential Candidate in the 2009 elections. An industrial engineering graduate from North Carolina State University, Rodrigo Avila worked in the private sector in his early professional years; however after his incorporation to the PNC, he has specialized in Public Safety and Criminal Policy matters. He has studies in criminology, police and public administration, and attended Law Enforcement courses at the FBI Academy, Texas A & M University and others.

He has been the President of the Central American and Caribbean Association of Chiefs of Police, founder of the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in El Salvador, member of the International Police Advisory Council for the UN’s Secretary General (IPAC), President for the National Foundation for Peace, Member of the Central American Security Council, representative in the OAS’s Inter-American Anti-Terrorism Committee.

He is recipient of National Awards from the Governments of Honduras and Nicaragua, and local governments and police agencies from various countries. He is married to Celina Denys and has three daughters.