Javier Amaya was born in Pereira, Colombia in 1956. He started his college studies in Colombia and Europe. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences, with a minor in History at the University of Washington. Amaya later completed his Master of Public Health (MPH), at the same university.

Since 1986, Javier Amaya has been alternating his regular jobs with journalism and freelancing, addressing social justice, human rights and political analysis. His editorials have been published in Spanish in several magazines and newspapers from Colombia, England and the United States.