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#TBT: 7 Latina Activists Who Fought for Change

by V. Alexandra de F. Szoenyi

In the face of injustice, there have been those brave enough to stand up and demand change—even if it meant their own lives were in danger. The following seven Latinas were such warriors, fighting for the rights of the people of their country, and beyond. Thank you.

María Elena Moyano

Afro-Peruana Maria Elena Moyano was an activist and community organizer, who was president of the Federacion Popular de Mujeres de Villa El Salvador (Fepomuves). She fought for the rights of women and the poor in Peru. Moyano was tragically assassinated by the guerrilla group Sendero Luminoso, in 1992, but her legacy lives on.

Dolores Huerta

Chicana civil rights activist and labor leader Dolores Huerta fought alongside Cesar Chavez for the rights of migrant farmworkers. With Chavez, she co-founded the National Migrant Farmworkers Association (later the United Farm Workers), and is credited for coining the phrase, “Si se puede.”

Sylvia Rivera

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Gay and trans activist, and self-identified drag queen Syliva Rivera is one of the heroes of the LGBTQ movement. The Venezuelan and Puerto Rican New Yorker was outspoken on the inclusion of trans people, people of color, the poor and homeless, drag queens, and gender-non-conformists into the fight for liberation.

Rigoberta Menchú

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#Repost @nobelprize_org (@get_repost) ・・・ “The Nobel Peace Prize was a deep recognition of the rights, struggle and tenacity of indigenous peoples. The prize represented a very strong blow to racism and discrimination.” Twenty-five years have passed since activist Rigoberta Menchú Tum received the Nobel Peace Prize, and a decade since the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. What progress has been made? At today’s Nobel Peace Prize Forum in Oslo, Menchú Tum spoke of the enormous gap between the definition of the rights of indigenous peoples and the reality, pointing to the violence towards communities as well as lost lands and languages. But added: “I am an optimistic woman… today, there are many opportunities, and we will not allow this type of violence again in our communities.” 📷 Pi Frisk / Nobel Media #nobelprize #nobelpeaceprize #nobelpeaceprizeforumoslo #rigobertamenchú #indigenouspeople #inspiration #nobellaureate

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Rigoberta Menchú Tum is a K’iche’ Guatemalan activist, who has fought for the rights of the indigenous peoples and women of Guatemala, and other countries. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 for her work.

Berta Caceres

Honduran activist and feminist Berta Caceres stood up for the environment, the rights of the indigenous Lencas (including their land rights), LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, and more. She co-founded the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), and won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2015. Caceres was tragically murdered in 2016.

The Mirabal Sisters (Las Mariposas)

Many women died so that many more women could have fundamental rights, and freedom. Patria, Minerva, Maria Teresa, and Mirabal (The Mirabal Sisters), who hailed from the Dominican Republic, fought against the oppressive Trujillo regime. The three sisters became martyrs after they were assassinated in 1960. The last surviving sister, Dedé, dedicated her life to keeping her sisters’ memory and legacy alive.

Argelia Laya

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Argelia Laya nació el 10 de julio de 1926 en una hacienda de cacao en la localidad venezolana de Río Chico, en el estado Miranda. Docente, activista política y luchadora social, defendió el derecho de las mujeres a la educación, a la participación cultural y a la capacitación, hasta la formulación del Plan Nacional “Educando para La Igualdad “, donde estableció los principios y estrategias para una educación por la paz y la justicia, con fundamento en la erradicación de toda forma de discriminación por sexo, en el sistema y proceso educativo. Se batió por la defensa del derecho de las jóvenes embarazadas a no ser excluidas del sistema de educación, se constituyó en un precedente histórico y un hito que puso en la palestra pública el derecho universal y sin discriminación a la educación. En el área de los derechos sexuales y reproductivos, defendió el derecho de las mujeres a un embarazo seguro, a fin de evitar más muertes por las interrupciones clandestinas de embarazos. Desde muy joven estuvo involucrada en los temas políticos de Venezuela, siendo un ejemplo de la participación política de la mujer venezolana. Siempre se desempeñó en movimientos y organizaciones desde donde trabajó por los derechos humanos de las mujeres negras, indígenas y con discapacidad. #SomosLaTribu #GuayoyoHistorico #ArgeliaLaya #Cafe #Docente #Politica #Luchadora #Filosofa #Efemeride #Coffee #Torta #Dulces #Cultura #10jul #Lunes #ElNacionalWeb #InstaVenezuela #BellasArtes #LaCandelaria #GAN #Museo #Ccs #Venezuela

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Afro-Venezolana Argelia Laya fought for the rights of women, minorities, and workers. This included women’s right to vote, the right to have an abortion, and have a child out of wedlock.

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