Rogelio Pardo Maurer IV

Rogelio Pardo-Maurer IV

Rogelio Pardo-Maurer, a national security leader, veteran, scholar, media commentator, and advocate for human freedom, passed away on March 17, 2024.

Known to many as Roger, Pardo-Maurer's brilliance shone through the many endeavors to which he dedicated his life. Bridging national security strategy with frontline courage, Pardo-Maurer's career encompassed leadership at the Pentagon and service in the U.S. Special Forces. He taught courses at Yale and the National War College, and authored multiple books on Latin America. Speaking five languages (English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Russian), Pardo-Maurer possessed a remarkable knack for interpreting complex global issues, rendering him a popular commentator on networks such as Univision and CNN. A tireless champion of freedom, his actions helped the lives of disenfranchised people from Kabul to Managua. A Renaissance man, Mr. Pardo-Maurer was well-known around Washington as a gifted pianist, artist and naturalist. His gregarious charisma, legendary wit, and exuberant love of life will be missed.

Early Life

Mr. Pardo-Maurer was born on June 10,1963 in Danbury, Connecticut, to a Costa Rican father and an American mother. Raised in San José, Costa Rica, he maintained both U.S. and Costa Rican citizenship throughout his life. He was a graduate of Lincoln High School, Yale University and Kings College, Cambridge.

Military Tenure

Rogelio Pardo-Maurer was a national security strategist and also a warrior. His career spanned leadership roles at the Department of Defense, as well as service in the U.S. Special Forces. As Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs (2001-2006), Pardo-Maurer played an essential role in shaping U.S. defense strategy across the Americas. He aided Colombia's campaign against the FARC, strengthened North American stability through the United States Northern Command, and promoted security through trade via the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).

In 2006, Mr. Pardo-Maurer received the distinguished Public Service Medal, the highest civilian honor awarded by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Mr. Pardo-Maurer was at the Pentagon during the attacks on September 11. Despite holding a high-ranking policy role, he took leave to serve on the ground with the U.S. Army Special Forces in Afghanistan (2002).

While in Kandahar, he engaged in direct counter-terrorism activity with local militias fighting against the Taliban. He also made a significant impact on the lives of his fellow soldiers. "We had a soldier shot in the chest, and...he died because we could not get a MEDEVAC aircraft," recalled Major General Edward Reeder. "One day this tall, handsome, dashing young man passed me in the hall and said 'Sir, I've read your daily situation reports and I can see no one is helping you, so I called my boss' (Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld),...The next day I had a dedicated MEDEVAC aircraft and a forward surgical team in Kandahar".

Ever the patriot, Pardo-Maurer returned to the field to serve in Iraq (2006-2007), this time, as a Corporal. Posted in Baqubah, he worked closely with General David Petraeus, helping to forge a strategy of alliance building with the Sunnis against Al-Qaeda.

Champion of Freedom

Mr. Pardo-Maurer was, at his essence, a staunch advocate of freedom. Those who knew him witnessed his unceasing dedication to helping individuals that faced adversity, be it from governmental oppression or international conflict. In 2005, while working at the Pentagon, he was instrumental in saving the Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which prevented 300,000 refugee families from deportation. He worked closely with Secretary Rumsfeld, the U.S. Southern Command, and his team, to strengthen relationships in the Americas- emphasizing cooperation on common threats, joint peacekeeping and disaster response.

When the Taliban resumed power in 2021, Pardo-Maurer was laser-focused on helping Afghan refugees, and spent hours typing out letters of sponsorship for individuals in danger.

Felix Maradiaga, a formerly imprisoned Nicaraguan leader describes, "I will always remember with gratitude the moment on February 9, 2023 when I landed...in Washington, D.C., alongside 221 other Nicaraguan political prisoners who had been released, and Rogelio...welcomed me, ushering me into freedom." Waiting with a news crew, Pardo-Maurer drew attention to the Nicaraguan struggle, and celebrated the prisoners' release.



Scholar

A respected scholar, Pardo-Maurer authored two books about Latin America, "The Contras" and "Acceso Mexico". He created a popular course, "Ungovernability", which he taught at Yale, NYU and the National War College. His students remember him as a dynamic mentor. "Students poured into the classroom, eager for his real-world national security insights," recalled Edward Wittenstein, now Executive Director of International Security Studies at Yale. "Roger inspired countless Yale students to pursue careers in public service". Marc Sorel, a former student, described, "What most struck me about Roger...was his unadulterated passion for ideas, and his deep belief in the potential of young people to achieve great things."

Mr. Pardo-Maurer's writing talents extended to his translation work. Selected to translate Medicare's flagship publication, "Medicare and You", his work impacted millions of Hispanic Americans. He also engaged in diverse translations of everything from federal disaster relief litigation, to interpreting the poetry of Ntzake Shange.

Media Pundit

A sought-after television commentator, Pardo-Maurer's cogent insights and larger-than-life personality made him a favorite on media outlets such as Univision, Telemundo and CNN en Español. In 2023-2024 alone, he conducted over 600 interviews, enthusiastically imparting his views on everything from cybersecurity to Ukraine to narco-trafficking.

Pianist, Artist, Naturalist

An excellent pianist, Mr. Pardo-Maurer was a musical omnivore, who could frequently be found playing Beethoven, Cole Porter, a tango by Gardel, or the rowdy improvisations of his own imagination. His artistic skills included drawing and photography, two areas in which he excelled. He voraciously photographed flora and fauna, sending a constant dispatch of photos to his friends- of monkeys and macaws, sprouting wildflowers, or whatever came before his lens.

Pardo-Maurer possessed a unique connection to plants and animals. A member of the Potomac Boat Club, he often sculled up to wild riparian areas to see herons and eagles. A self-taught gardener, he was known to cultivate fern grottoes, exotic mosses, and bonsai trees. He was once featured in a humorous Washington Post article with Toby, his Jack Russell terrier, hunting for rats in Lafayette Park.

Adam Holloway, now a British MP, remembers a young Pardo-Maurer eccentrically showing up at his home in London, "with a leather Gladstone bag...containing a number of chameleons." Another time, discovering a cache of frog's eggs, Rogelio put them in a brandy snifter and invited his friends to watch the tadpoles hatch over brunch. His network of loved ones were baffled by his ability to hand-feed hummingbirds, befriend foxes, and conduct portrait sessions with Capuchin monkeys.

Pardo-Maurer participated in many communities, including the Metropolitan Club of Washington, Tertulia de Washington (who awarded him their "Quixote award"), the Elizabethan Club, and the Potomac Boat Club.

Rogelio Pardo-Maurer embodied leadership, service, intelligence and imagination. He leaves behind a legacy of kindness and dedication to freedom.

He is survived by his parents, Rogelio Pardo Evans and Susan Maurer Clarke, and his sisters, Ninoshka and Vanessa Pardo.

In place of flowers, contributions in Rogelio's honor can be made to the Camino of Costa Rica, the Roger Pardo Impact Initiative, www.caminodecostarica.org.