Amnesty International welcomes new Americas director

Erika Guevara-Rosas has joined the International Secretariat of Amnesty International as the new Americas Programme Director, taking responsibility for leading the organization’s human rights work across the region.

Erika is a Mexican lawyer and human rights activist with more than 15 years of international experience.

“Having devoted my career to human rights and social justice, joining Amnesty International marks a major personal and professional milestone. I look forward to the challenge of carrying on this crucial work to bolster human rights across our region,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas.

“Amnesty International has a proud legacy of defending human rights in the Americas. It played a leading role in exposing and denouncing the atrocities committed by the terrible authoritarian regimes of the seventies and the eighties in South and Central America.

“This legacy continues today, as Amnesty International still shines a light on the human rights violations occurring across the Continent: the lack of respect for Indigenous Peoples’ rights; the unjustifiable criminalization of abortion in countries such as Chile, El Salvador, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic; the crisis of enforced disappearances and torture in my own country, Mexico; and the continued failure of the US government to close the detention Centre at Guantanamo Bay, among other concerning issues,” said Erika.

Across the continent, millions of people are still affected on a daily basis by injustice, discrimination and violence, as a result of the lack of recognition and protection of their rights.

“At a time when Amnesty International is looking to strengthen our presence in the Americas with the opening of regional offices, Erika’s outstanding credentials, experience and leadership will help us to become an even greater force for defending human rights in the region,” said Nicola Duckworth, Senior Director of Research at Amnesty International.

Before joining Amnesty International, Erika served as Regional Director for the Americas at the Global Fund for Women. She also worked as a Legal/Protection Officer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), managing complex operations in Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Panama and Venezuela. 

Erika has also extensive experience working for non-governmental organizations in Mexico and Canada, including Sin Fronteras – a leading migration advocacy organization. She has postgraduate degrees in Women’s Studies and Migration and Refugee Studies.