Diana Ríos

Indigenous Amazonian leader who stopped illegal logging in Peru through grassroots activism and won the <a href='https://www.goldmanprize.org/recipient/diana-rios/'>Goldman Environmental Prize</a>

Diana Ríos is a Peruvian Asháninka activist fighting illegal logging in the Amazon rainforest. After witnessing her father's murder by loggers in 2005, she became a vocal defender of the Asháninka people's ancestral lands. Her key achievements include:

• Organizing 300+ community patrols to monitor 300,000 hectares of rainforest
• Documenting illegal logging activities that led to 40+ criminal investigations
• Securing legal recognition for 15 Asháninka communities' land rights

As founder of Rainforest Foundation US's community mapping program, she developed innovative tools combining GPS technology with traditional knowledge. Her 2018 Goldman Prize win brought global attention to Indigenous land defense. Recent initiatives include:

• Training young leaders in digital advocacy
• Partnerships with Peruvian universities for environmental education programs
• Advocacy at COP26 for Indigenous climate solutions

Ríos' story is told in the documentary "Defending the Amazon", and she advises the UNDP on Indigenous-led conservation strategies.