In January 2022 she moved to Amnesty International’s Americas Regional Office in Mexico City to serve as Deputy Director for Research in the Americas. Since taking over as interim Americas Director in September 2023, she has led the organization’s work on pressing issues across the region, including presenting reports on attacks against human rights defenders in Colombia and the recent deterioration of human rights in El Salvador

Following a successful six-month interim period at the helm of Amnesty International’s human rights work in the region, the organization has appointed Ana Piquer as its Americas Director on a permanent basis, with immediate effect.

“We’re delighted that Ana will continue to lead our work in the Americas at a time of severe global polycrisis with major implications for human rights. She boasts a wealth of institutional knowledge, an in-depth understanding of the region, and vital first-hand experience in navigating one of the world’s toughest climates for the defense of human rights. Her bold vision and optimism will be invaluable as we strive to uphold the rights of everyone in the Americas,” said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Regional Human Rights Impact.

Having studied law at the Universidad de Chile and completed a master’s degree at New York University, Ana Piquer began her career as a labor and employment lawyer. A lifelong human rights defender, she first joined Amnesty International as an activist in Chile in 1990 and later became chair of the Board of the Chilean section. She became Executive Director of Amnesty International Chile in 2011 and oversaw major human rights work in the country, including leading the organization’s response to the social uprising of 2019 and the campaign for justice for the violent repression of the protests.

I’m truly honored by this appointment and will do everything I can to see human rights prosper in every corner of the Americas.

Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International

In January 2022 she moved to Amnesty International’s Americas Regional Office in Mexico City to serve as Deputy Director for Research in the Americas. Since taking over as interim Americas Director in September 2023, she has led the organization’s work on pressing issues across the region, including presenting reports on attacks against human rights defenders in Colombia and the recent deterioration of human rights in El Salvador.

“I’m truly honored by this appointment and will do everything I can to see human rights prosper in every corner of the Americas,” Ana Piquer said. “I’m under no illusion about the scale of the challenge we face in a continent that remains the world’s deadliest for human rights defenders. Anti-rights groups have sought to undermine hard-fought gains in recent years, but I take great inspiration from the brave and buoyant movements leading the way for climate justice and the advancement of the rights of women, young people, refugees, and Black, Indigenous and LGBTIQ+ people all over the region. We’re determined to consolidate our feminist, anti-racist agenda, and our bonds with sister organizations, so that together we can make the Americas a fairer, safer place for everyone.”