Maria Elena Moyano Delgado was an Afro Peruvian social activist who fought for the rights of the people in her community of Villa El Salvador. During some of the most politically violent times of Peru's modern history at the age of 25 in 1984 she was elected president of the Popular Federation of Women of Villa El Salvador. This organization created projects to generate income for families to provide food for children and improve basic education. Before she was leading a women's federation Maria grew up in an impoverished situation, but as a high school student she did very well. Her excellence in the classroom allowed her to get a scholarship to attend university.
However after two years she decided to leave because of her desire to peacefully help lead movements to uplift her community. Unfortunately a violent Peruvian terroist group named The Shining Path believed it was necessary to use violence in order to change the chaotic world of Peru at that time. Their views contradicted those of Maria's and so on February 15th, 1992, they brutally assassinated her by shooting her in the head and blowing up her body in front of her two children.
I remember asking my friend from Peru who was the most inspirational leader that she looked up to and she told me Maria Elena Moyano Delgado. I had never heard of her before so inquisitively I searched the internet about her and very quickly found out about her story. At that moment when I learned all that she sacrificed for the community and how she was barbarically assassinated I really wanted to cry . Even though she was murdered 28 years ago the emotional and spiritual impact of her life and what she stood for still resonates on the earth today.
The images I have seen of her reminds me of an angel enwrapped in human form. She had skin like light brown sugar and her afro was dark brown. Her smile looked warm inviting and genuine which is what I imagine her personality was like as well. There have been many famous social workers and fighters of justice who have met an untimely death. However the murdering of Maria Moyano affected me differently in many ways.
To see such a strong beautiful Afro Latina woman stand up fight for her community is inspiring. Especially when you consider the fact that if she wanted to do well for herself she was on a path of individual success because of her accomplishments and scholarships in the classroom. Her decision to stay within the community and more importantly empower it is what makes her death so sad to me and is very relatable to a recent death of a leader in the African American community, Nipsey Hussle.
Like Moyano, Hussle didn't need to stay in the community, but wanted to because of his desire to empower it. These type of stories are what really get me down because as a black person who doesn't have the biggest following it's so important to support and uplift those members of the community that reach a place of influence and decide to shine their light on important matters and issues within the black community. Maria Elena Moyano Delgado didn't have a long life but her impact and her spirit to help others will continue to live on forever.
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