Rigoberta Menchu, the Mayan woman who won the Nobel Peace Prize, announced the formation of an Indian political party in Guatemala.
The name of the party is Winaq, which means "the wholeness of the human being" in Mayan. Menchu said it would empower the nation's indigenous people, who make up the majority of the population but remain at the bottom of the social ladder.
"For the 200 years of the Guatemalan republic, we Indians have been voters but not elected officials and this is the moment to change that," Menchu said, the Associated Press reported.
Menchu is considering a run for president. If elected, she would be the third Indian person to lead a Latin American country.The first was Alejandro Toledo of Peru, whose first and only term ended last year, and the second was Evo Morales of Bolivia, who is serving his first term in office.
Get the Story:Guatemalan Nobel Winner Forms Group (AP 2/12)
pwpwd Relevant Links:
Rigoberta Menchu Foundation - http://www.rigobertamenchu.org
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