vicenta_espinoza

Ecuadorian labor leader who organized indigenous workers and pioneered women's cooperatives in Latin America

Vicenta Espinoza (1905-1985) was a visionary organizer in Ecuador's labor movement. A member of the Quechua community, she founded the National Indigenous Confederation in 1944 to protect the rights of indigenous workers in the banana and coffee industries. Her establishment of the first women's cooperative in Loja province empowered rural women to control agricultural production through collective bargaining. Espinoza's advocacy led to the 1958 Indigenous Rights Act, which recognized communal land ownership. She also co-founded the Women's Agricultural Cooperative Network, which today operates in 12 Latin American countries. Her memoir Voices of the Andes documents her 40-year struggle for social justice. Espinoza's legacy is celebrated in the Ecuadorian National Museum and the BBC documentary series on Latin American labor history.