Rigoberta Menchu-Tum

Rigoberta Menchú Tum is an indigenous Guatemalan of the K'iche' ethnic group and a Nobel Laureate. She has long been an advocate for the rights of Guatemala's indigenous peoples, both during and after the Guatemalan Civil War, and has worked extensively to promote indigenous rights across the country.

Menchú's activism began in her teenage years when she became involved in social reform through the Catholic Church and took a prominent role in the women's rights movement. In 1979, she joined the Committee of the Peasant Union (CUC), but by 1981, due to increasing threats, she was forced to flee Guatemala. From Mexico, she continued her work by organizing resistance against the oppression of indigenous people in Guatemala. Her efforts gained international attention with the publication of her testimonial biography "I, Rigoberta Menchú" in 1983, and further when she narrated the film "When the Mountains Tremble."

In addition to the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992, Menchú has received several other international accolades for her work, including the Prince of Asturias Award in 1998. She has also served as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. Her political involvement includes running for President of Guatemala in 2007 and 2011, and participation in indigenous political parties, highlighting her continuous commitment to political advocacy and social justice.