Sara Sofia Fuentes Maldonado [she/her]

ECUADOR | Education
Sara Fuentes is an Indigenous Kichwa-Otavalo internationalist from Ecuador with extensive experience in project management and international cooperation, focusing on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, youth, women, and sustainable development. At the national level, she has led initiatives to strengthen Indigenous women’s leadership, secured international funding for youth programs, and facilitated English scholarship opportunities for Indigenous, Montubio, and Afro-Ecuadorian youth.

Internationally, she served as an Indigenous Fellow at the Secretariat of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), where she acted as a focal point for Indigenous representatives. In this role, she supported their participation in global dialogues and contributed to international initiatives addressing the intersection of intellectual property, traditional knowledge, and Indigenous People's rights. She was also part of the key team that supported the negotiation of the WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources, and Associated Traditional Knowledge.

A former participant of FORA’s Network for Change and the FIMI Global Leadership School, Sara co-founded the collective Tuparina alongside fellow Indigenous women from sister communities. The collective serves as a platform to support projects and programs led by and for Indigenous women, aiming to foster empowerment through cultural, social, and economic initiatives.

Sara has a deep commitment to Indigenous diplomacy and has worked closely with grassroots organizations, UN agencies, and international stakeholders to drive meaningful change and elevate Indigenous perspectives in global forums. Her work bridges local and international spaces, grounded in a vision of justice, equity, and intercultural dialogue.

This bio is updated as of May 2025.