About
A background in public safety and emergency management that shapes every investigation. A journalism career that applies adversarial thinking, risk assessment, and crisis protocols to the most pressing digital threats of our time.
Luis Assardo is a data-investigative journalist, OSINT researcher, and digital security trainer whose work sits at the intersection of technology, freedom of expression, and the protection of those who report on power.
Based in Berlin, he collaborates with the Holistic Protection Collective (HPC), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), and the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN), among other human rights organisations. Through these partnerships he designs protection protocols, conducts risk assessments, and delivers security and resilience training for journalists facing digital and physical threats.
He is the founder of Confirmado, Guatemala's first collaborative fact-checking project, and has led multiple digital newsrooms throughout his career. His investigative work, including the first investigation into influence operations in Guatemala, has received international recognition and shaped how Central American journalism approaches coordinated online manipulation.
Before journalism became his full-time career, he spent over a decade in the fire service: specialising in emergency management, arson investigation, hazmat response, and public safety. But the seed was planted earlier: while still a firefighter, he worked as a television news anchor at Teleprensa. That experience never left him. When the fire service chapter closed, journalism was the only logical next step. The discipline, the adversarial thinking, the protocols, all of it carried over, and still shapes every investigation today.
Education
Certifications
Career
1994 – 2005
Benemérito Cuerpo de Bomberos Municipales
Over a decade with the Municipal Fire Department of Guatemala City: Head of Communications and Emergency Coordination Center, hazmat first responder, rescue and salvage specialist, emergency vehicle operator, instructor, and public relations officer.
1996 – 1997
Abanderado: Standard-Bearer
Elected standard-bearer (abanderado) of the Benemérito Cuerpo de Bomberos Municipales, the highest recognition awarded to a firefighter in Guatemala.
1996 – 1998
News Anchor at Teleprensa
The last News anchor at Teleprensa. The news programme closed in 1998, but the experience planted the seed that would later define his career: after finishing the fire service track, journalism was the natural path forward.
1999
Personal Paramedic, President Clinton Visit
Served as personal paramedic during President Clinton's visit to Guatemala. Certified by the White House.
2000
Fire Fighting School: Reengineering
Led the reengineering of the Fire Fighting School for the Municipal Fire Department. Co-authored 47 technical training manuals.
2001
Fire & Disaster Management, FDMA Japan
Fellow at Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Training in disaster response, emergency coordination, and crisis management systems.
2002
First Emergency Coordination Center, Guatemala
Designed and implemented the first Emergency Coordination Center in Guatemala, establishing the operational model still in use today.
2004 – 2012
Director, ACP Asesoría y Capacitación
Planned, designed, and implemented preventive security programmes across banking, industry, education, and government. Served more than 75 clients and coordinated high-risk events, all from an an integral public safety perspective.
2008 – 2011
Web Editor at elPeriódico
Responsible for editorial content on elPeriódico's digital platform. Developed multimedia reporting, digital strategies, and pioneered the first social media strategy for a Guatemalan newspaper, becoming a reference for digital journalism in Central America.
2010
Multimedia Journalism Fellowship
Deutsche Welle Akademie fellowship in Germany, deepening expertise in digital and multimedia journalism formats.
2009 – 2013
Catedrático, Universidad del Istmo
Designed and taught courses in Media Technology, Multimedia Convergence, Digital Journalism, Online Narrative, Journalistic Innovation, Community Journalism, and Scientific Journalism.
2013 – 2014
Web Editor, Revista ContraPoder
Responsible for the digital platform and multiple digital projects at Revista ContraPoder, one of Guatemala's leading investigative publications.
2014 – 2015
Director, Diario Digital
Led digital innovation and product development strategy for Diario Digital and Revista ContraPoder. Generation and production of multimedia content and special projects.
2015
Digital Path to Entrepreneurship Fellowship
Fellowship across multiple leading US newsrooms, focused on digital entrepreneurship and media innovation in Latin America.
2015 – 2017
Professor, Universidad Rafael Landivar
Taught courses in Multimedia Production, Digital Communication, Online Innovation, and Journalism at one of Guatemala's leading universities.
2016 – 2017
Editor in Chief at República
Led editorial strategy and teams at República, one of Guatemala's leading independent digital outlets, the period that that directly preceded the first influence operations investigation.
2017 – 2021
Professor, Universidad Panamericana
Taught Multimedia Production, Digital Project Management, Disinformation, and Journalism courses, integrating active research into the classroom.
2015 – 2021
General Manager, ACP Asesoría y Capacitación
Training and assessment for media organisations and companies with digital presence, running in parallel with investigative work and teaching, applying security consulting expertise directly to the digital media landscape.
2018
First Investigation on Influence Operations, Guatemala
Published the first investigation into troll factories and influence operations in Guatemala, a landmark in Central American investigative journalism that applied OSINT and public-safety risk methodology to digital threats.
2018
ESET Digital Security Journalism Award
First ESET award for the investigation into influence operations: recognition that digital security and investigative journalism had become inseparable in practice.
2019
Confirmado: Guatemala's First Collaborative Fact-Checking Project
Founded Confirmado, the first collaborative fact-checking initiative in Guatemala. IJNet Journalist of the Month recognition.
2020
Producing Media to Counter Radicalisation, RNTC
Fellowship at RNTC, Netherlands. Deepened expertise in counter-extremism media production and radicalization prevention, connecting emergency management experience with digital security research.
2021
Digital Security Fellowship, Reporters Without Borders
RSF fellowship in Germany, designing and delivering digital security training and protection protocols for journalists in high-risk environments.
2024
Digital Investigations Residency, Tactical Tech
Research residency at Tactical Tech, Berlin, focusing on advanced digital investigation methodologies and adversarial research techniques.
2025
ESET Digital Security Journalism Award, Vector Crítico
Second ESET award for Vector Crítico, the independent newsletter on internet and society, won before its first anniversary. Continuing global work with GIJN, RSF, ECPMF, and EU bodies.
Recognition
Awards
Fellowships & Residencies
Certificates & Honours
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