by Isabella Jimenez-Lara
Rigoberta Menchu was born in Laj Chimel, Guatemala, the 9th of January 1959. She is a Guatemalan activist of indian human rights and was awarded with the Nobel peace prize. She is part of the Quiché Maya group, and in her youth was an activist on the local women’s rights movement where she advocated for social reform. The overall activism of her family led them to be persecuted by the military government of Guatemala. Her father died in a fire during the Guatemalan civil war protesting for human rights and against the abuses of the military. Tragedy followed the rest of the family as they all died encountering cruel abuses from the military, which she went into depth about in her book Rigoberta Menchú. Menchu escaped Mexico where she found safety within a liberal roman catholic group. Since then, she’s worked with international efforts to stop the government of Guatemala in their brutal persecutions against poor indians, and in her efforts became an expert public speaker and organizer.
Rigoberta Menchu nacio en Laj Chimel, Guatemala, el 9 de Enero de 1959. Ella es una Guatemalteca activista de derechos humanos de indios que fue galardonado con el Premio Nobel de la Paz. Ella es parte del Quiché Maya grupo, y en su juventud fue activista en el movimiento de los derechos de la mujer donde defendió reforma social. El activismo de su familia enfoco una persecución en ellos de la militaria del gobierno de Guatemala. Su papá murió durante la guerra civil en un incendio protestando derechos humanos contra los abusos de la militaria. Tragedia continuo al resto de su familia y murieron por abusos crueles de la militaria, sobre el que escribió en su libro Rigoberta Menchú. Menchu escapó México donde encontró seguridad dentro de un grupo liberal católico romano. Desde alli, trabajo con fuerzas internacionales para parar el gobierno de Guatemala en sus persecuciones brutales contra los indios pobres, y en sus esfuerzos se creó una oradora pública experta y organizadora.
- HispanicAmericanWomen