Overview

• On July 16, Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente presented Rigoberta Menchú with her letter of naturalization at the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Mexico City.
• The chancellor highlighted Menchú’s lifelong defense of indigenous peoples' rights and her academic contributions in Mexico and internationally.
• Menchú has lived in Mexico since 1981 after fleeing the Guatemalan military's genocide that killed and tortured her family.
• She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 as the first indigenous woman laureate and later served as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
• Her naturalization continues Mexico’s recent tradition of ceremonially granting citizenship to distinguished foreigners.