Vilma Núñez

Nicaraguan human rights lawyer who established landmark legal protections for indigenous communities

For 50+ years, Vilma Núñez de Escorcia has been the conscience of Nicaraguan justice. As founder of the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH), she:

• Secured legal recognition for 23 indigenous territories
• Pioneered gender-sensitive judicial reforms
• Exposed state-sponsored violence during the Contra War

Her groundbreaking 2001 case before the Inter-American Court (Mayagna Community vs Nicaragua) established precedent for indigenous land rights across Latin America. Despite government persecution, the 84-year-old continues defending political prisoners through innovative mobile legal clinics.