Corie Welch

Corie Welch is WOLA’s Assistant Director for Communications, where she coordinates external communications, media outreach, and engagement to support WOLA’s advocacy work. With 10 years of experience working on human rights in Central America, Corie has worked extensively on migration and human rights issues, supporting human rights defenders and advocating for policy change at the international level.

Corie joins WOLA upon her return from San Salvador, El Salvador after having worked with Foundation Cristosal in their English communications department. She also lived in El Progreso, Honduras for two years running the Honduras Program with Witness for Peace. There, she worked with at-risk human rights defenders, providing protective accompaniment, documenting human rights abuses, and publishing analysis. 

She served as the Advocacy Director of the Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA based out of Washington, DC. As Director, she had the immense honor of working closely with Indigenous human rights defenders and survivors both in Guatemala and in DC, including the Achi Women who won WOLA’s Human Rights Award in 2022. She also worked with WOLA’s Central America program as a consultant.    

Corie holds a Master’s in Journalism and Human Rights from the University of Galway, where she produced a podcast on human rights defenders in El Salvador. She has another Master’s in Community Development from Clark University. She speaks both English and Spanish.