50 Years Fighting for Human Rights in the Americas

Wola 50th anniversary

In May 2024, WOLA, alongside its sponsors and longtime supporters, hosted the 50th Anniversary WOLA Human Rights Awards Ceremony and Benefit Gala. During this event, we celebrated WOLA’s past, present, and future work while commemorating the dedication and impact of our 2024 honorees Senator Patrick Leahy, Venezuela Program Education-Action on Human Rights (PROVEA), and the Collectives of Family Members of the Disappeared in Guanajuato, Mexico.

See the photo album here and watch our 50th anniversary playlist

WOLA has undergone a transformative journey

In reaching our remarkable 50th anniversary milestone, the Washington Office on Latin America has undergone a transformative journey, growing to meet the challenges of the times and emerging as a crucial force in social justice and human rights advocacy throughout the Americas. As we reflect on five decades of human rights advocacy, WOLA remains steadfast in shaping a future in Latin America where democracy thrives and human rights prevail.

Know More About the Collectives of Family Members of the Disappeared in Guanajuato, Mexico

The collectives of family members of the disappeared in Guanajuato, Mexico, were one of the recipients of WOLA’s 2024 Human Rights Award for their essential role in the search for truth, justice, reparations, and non-repetition in the face of a disappearance crisis numbering over 116,000 victims nationally. In particular, WOLA recognized Olimpia Montoya of the search collective Proyecto de Búsqueda for her role in advancing efforts to create the National Forensic Data Bank and Bibiana Mendoza and Verónica Durán of the Hasta Encontrarte collective for her unwavering voice against militarization in Mexico.

Please consider donating today and support WOLA’s work for the next 50 years.

50th Anniversary Events

In September 2023, we launched our 50th Anniversary celebrations with a series of events.