Luisa Fernanda Méndez

Colombian environmental activist leading grassroots movements against mining exploitation

Luisa Fernanda Méndez (b. 1994) emerged as a prominent voice in Colombia's environmental movement during the 2016 peace accords. Her work began in 2014 when she organized Ruta Pacífica de las Mujeres, a network opposing illegal mining in Chocó Department. By 2018, her coalition secured legal protections for 12 indigenous territories through documentary evidence of mercury contamination. Méndez pioneered the Circular Economy for the Pacific initiative, creating sustainable livelihoods for 3,000+ families. Her TEDx talk "Voices of the Forest" (2019) reached 2 million viewers. Recognized as one of Time Magazine's Next Generation Leaders in 2019, her methodologies influenced Colombia's 2020 Mining Code reforms. Méndez currently advises UNDP on community-based environmental governance strategies.