Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Awards
More than 45 years later, the fight for justice continues
IPS established the Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Awards in 1976 to honor our fallen colleagues, Orlando Letelier and Ronni Karpen Moffitt, who were assassinated by the Pinochet regime for their work to defend democracy and human rights in Chile. Today, these awards celebrate new champions of human rights and memorialize the victims of the Pinochet dictatorship.
Every year, IPS awards one group from the United States and one from Latin America and the Caribbean. We aim to recognize the often unsung heroes throughout the hemisphere who fight for economic, cultural, social, and civil rights. Our joyful ceremony each October celebrates the victories, struggles, and stories of those who fight for justice in the Americas.
The LM Awards boost visionary voices. Awardees have gone on to become progressive presidents in Brazil, Colombia, and Chile, overthrow Chile’s Pinochet-era constitution, win landmark unionization campaigns against corporate powers, and stand strong against multinational companies trying to displace Indigenous peoples from their lands. Together, all of our awardees help create the future we aspire to share.
History
In 1973, 10 years after the Institute for Policy Studies opened its doors with the belief that progressive thought, advocacy, and action can build a better society, Chile’s democratically elected government was overthrown by a military coup.
These two histories became inextricably linked on September 21, 1976, when agents of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet detonated a car bomb in Washington, D.C. that killed Orlando Letelier, a former Chilean diplomat and Director of IPS’s Transnational Institute, and Ronni Karpen Moffitt, an IPS Development Associate, in Washington, D.C.
In addition to his work at IPS, which stressed the relationship between economic rights and political freedom, Letelier had become one of the most outspoken critics of Pinochet. Moffitt ran a “Music Carryout” program to make musical instruments accessible to all. Her fundraising work at IPS stressed that we will not further democracy and equity in this country unless we stand with those seeking justice abroad.
A massive FBI investigation traced the crime to the highest levels of Pinochet’s regime and over the past decades there have been measures of justice, including the prosecution of numerous individuals involved in the bombing, a successful civil suit against the Republic of Chile on behalf of family members, and the indictment of Pinochet himself in his home country.
The Letelier-Moffitt Awards have played a vital role in the fight for justice for our fallen colleagues and in fueling struggles against injustice all over the world.
30 Years: Families Struggle for Justice
A short tribute to the families of Orlando Letelier and Ronni Karpen Moffitt, detailing measures they took to ultimately bring Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet to trial.
Past Awardees
2022 | Amazon Labor Union Movimiento por Nuestros Desaparecidos en Mexico |
2021 | Torture Abolition And Survivors Support Coalition International Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH) |
2020 | Awood Center The Association of Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples (APIB) |
2019 | Zero Hour Comité Municipal en Defensa de Bienes Comunes y Naturales del Municipio de Tocoa |
2018 | New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice Derechos Humanos y Medio Ambiente (DHUMA) |
2017 | Opal Tometi and the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) Javier Rojas Uriana |
2016 | In honor of the 40th anniversary of the assassinations of Orlando Letelier and Ronni Karpen Moffitt, IPS honored all of its past Letelier-Moffitt Awardees. |
2015 | Daryl Atkinson and the Southern Center for Social Justice Almudena Bernabeu and the Center for Justice and Accountability |
2014 | Robin Reineke of the Colibrí Center for Human Rights The Mesoamerican Initiative of Women Human Rights Defenders Juan E. Méndez (Special Recognition Award) |
2013 | As part of its 50th Anniversary Celebration, IPS honored all of its past Letelier-Moffitt awardees. |
2012 | City Life / Vida Urbana The Chilean Students Movement (Confederación de Estudiantes Chilenos) |
2011 | Wisconsin Progressive Movement Bethlehem, The Migrant’s Shelter (Mexico) |
2010 | National Day Laborer Organizing Network Honduras Human Rights Platform Guatemalan Police Archives (Special Recognition Award) |
2009 | Domestic Workers United La Mesa Nacional Frente a la Minería Metálica en El Salvador |
2008 | Asociación Pro-Derechos Humanos (Peru) Indian Workers Congress |
2007 | Senator Gustavo Petro (Colombia) Appeal for Redress DC Vote (Special Recognition Award) |
2006 | Maher Arar and Center for Constitutional Rights Gulf Coast Renewal Campaign |
2005 | Judge Juan Guzmán Barrios Unidos |
2004 | Seymour Hersh Military Families Speak Out |
2003 | Nancy Sanchez Mendez CASA de Maryland Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Special Recognition Award) |
2002 | Bishop Alvaro Ramazzini (Guatemala) Jobs with Justice Naúl Ojeda (Special Recognition Award, posthumously) |
2001 | 25th Anniversary All prior recipients honored |
2000 | Oscar Olivera, Coordinator in Defense of Water and Life (Bolivia) November Coalition |
1999 | Juan Garces Kensington Welfare Rights Union |
1998 | Rose Sanders Coordinacion Colombia-Europa |
1997 | The Rev. Dr. Mac Charles Jones (Special Recognition Award, posthumously) Sin Fronteras Organizing Project Alianza Civica |
1996 | Pharis Harvey (Special Recognition Award) Asian Immigrant Women Advocates Leo Valladares |
1995 | Jennifer Harbury (Special Recognition Award) Rose Johnson, Georgia Project Director of the Center for Democratic Renewal Haitian Human Rights Platform |
1994 | Harry Belafonte (Special Recognition Award) Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras CONAIE (Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador) |
1993 | Bishop Samuel Ruiz Garcia and Fray Bartolome de las Casas Human Rights Center in Chiapas, Mexico Marian Kramer and the National Welfare Rights Organization |
1992 | Evans Paul, Mayor of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti Sam Buffone and Michael Tigar, lawyers for the Letelier-Moffitt Case Saul Landau (Special Recognition Award) |
1991 | Jorge Gomez Lizarazo, President, Regional Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, Barrancabermeja, Colombia La Mujer Obrera, El Paso, Texas |
1990 | The National Human Rights Coordinating Committee of Peru Richard Trumka, President, United Mine Workers Union of America Father Jim Felts and Proyecto de Cristo Rey (Special Recognition Award) |
1989 | The Union of Indigenous Nations of Brazil The National Labor Committee in Support of Democracy and Human Rights in El Salvador Robert Scherrer (Special Recognition Award) |
1988 | Radio Soleil (Haiti) Charles L. Clements, M.D. |
1987 | Bishop Mario Melanio Medina (Paraguay) Washington Office on Latin America |
1986 | The Vicariate of Solidarity (Chile) Pete Seeger |
1985 | The Grupo de Apoyo Mutuo (GAM) of Guatemala The Free South Africa Movement Frances Arbour (Special Recognition Award) |
1984 | Dr. Ramon Custodio, President, Committee for Human Rights in Honduras The Sanctuary Movement Reverend Charles Harper (Special Recognition Award) |
1983 | Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS) of Argentina Father J. Bryan Hehir, U.S. Catholic Conference |
1982 | Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns of Sao Paulo, Brazil The Infant Formula Action Coalition |
1981 | Jacobo Timerman The Congregation of Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic |
1980 | The Legal Aid Office of the Archdiocese of San Salvador Reverend William Wipfler, National Council of Churches |
1979 | The Association of Relatives of Disappeared People, Chile Alfred “Skip” Robinson, United League of Mississippi |
1978 | Samuel Rubin Reverend Benjamin Chavis, Jr. |