In 1985 this Puerto Rican politician was the first woman to become Chief of Staff For the Commonwealth and 11 years later she became the mayor of San Juan. Furthermore, while she was Governor of Puerto Rico, she created jobs, invested in public education and promoted the country´s tourism industry.
Born in New Mexico she was a labour leader and civil rights activist. In 1960 she founded the Agricultural Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers. She received many awards for her contributions to the rights of immigrants, workers and women.
This indigenous Guatemalan has dedicated her life to defend the indigenous people´s rights after the Civil War and during the 80s educated natives to fight oppression and stand for their rights.
Born in Puerto Rico she was the first Latina to become Judge of the Supreme Court of the United Sates in 2009. She is as well a professor at the NYU School of Law and a lecturer at Columbia Law School.
After being arrested and tortured for her father´s resistance to the 1973 Coup she became the current President of Chile, being the first woman to ever achieve this. She served as Head of the United Nations for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and she defends indigenous people rights.
This Mexican was the first Latina astronaut of history and therefore, the first Hispanic woman in the world to go to space. She is the current director of the Johnson Space Centre.
Nicaraguan poet Claribel Alegría was always close to the revolutionary FSLN, the Sandinista National Liberation Front of Nicaragua, but has remained committed to nonviolent resistance. She was part of the literary movement La Generación Comprometida, created by intellectuals who sought justice for the poor.