Eduardo Ezequiel Martinez Gutierrez

Indigenous communities in Mexico encounter significant obstacles in accessing essential public services due to linguistic and cultural differences, compounded by discrimination. These barriers to exercising citizenship accelerate the loss of Indigenous languages and cultures. Eduardo engages bicultural youth as interpreters to play key roles in ensuring equitable, culturally respectful access to rights for Indigenous people– beyond providing linguistic access, they become watchdogs with the knowledge and skills to fight racism and discrimination while revindicating their own identity.

Eduardo envisions a future where Indigenous peoples in Mexico and other multicultural nations can fully participate in society. He identifies the critical role of interpreters in this transformation: not only do they hold a unique position connecting Indigenous citizens with the state, but also hold the key to multiple rights—language. Eduardo understands that linguistic access is fundamental to equity in justice, healthcare, employment, and other dimensions. Language also encompasses identity and culture; for Indigenous people, linguistic access goes beyond words to capture the nuances of a different worldview. As such, Eduardo elevates interpreters as pivotal changemakers, capable of shifting power dynamics and uplifting Indigenous cultures.

Eduardo is seeding a new generation of interpreters to revitalize the movement for Indigenous rights. His approach to interpretation revolutionizes the traditional paradigms by expanding its scope, enhancing quality, and rethinking its purpose. He aims to break with the standard of “neutrality” and instead empowers interpreters to actively participate in and influence outcomes. They transform the experience for Indigenous peoples, fundamentally shifting the value and quality of interpretation services, while guiding citizens to assert their rights. This shift also addresses systemic inequities by embedding Indigenous perspectives directly into public institutions: interpreters support long-term institutional change by educating system operators on intercultural competence, challenging biases, and reducing impunity for rights violations.

His idea transcends interpretation, however. For Eduardo, reimagining the role of interpreters is a medium for Indigenous communities to mobilize to challenge racism and discrimination beyond institutional settings. By design, Eduardo’s approach instills a sense of pride and reaffirms Indigenous identity. The process to become an interpreter breaks down the prevailing notion that Indigenous peoples must assimilate to access opportunities. He focuses on engaging Indigenous youth, ensuring the preservation and transmission of cultural and linguistic heritage to future generations. They become “intercultural promoters,” turning their bilingual abilities into a superpower to generate positive change in their communities rather than a disadvantage.

Using interpretation as an entry point, Eduardo is catalyzing broader action for the recognition and respect of Indigenous languages, cultures, and rights. He weaves a network to connect these young Indigenous changemakers to each other, involving CSOs, academic institutions, and international organizations as allies. The network provides a support system and builds collective power to drive changes in policies and practices that affect Indigenous communities.

The network mobilized by Eduardo is already making an impact in Oaxaca's justice system, where it supports Indigenous individuals navigating judicial processes. Eduardo's approach is not only practical but also scalable, as demonstrated by its replication in other regions, including international adaptations in Peru and the United States. By partnering with universities to institutionalize his curriculum and pushing for legal reforms to professionalize the role of interpreters, Eduardo ensures that his model can be adapted and implemented widely, offering a blueprint for empowering Indigenous communities, and enhancing cultural and linguistic rights globally.

The problem Eduardo is addressing highlights a deep-seated systemic racism and discrimination against Indigenous peoples within Mexico's justice system, as well as other facets of public life. Despite constitutional protections and international agreements aimed at upholding the rights of Indigenous peoples, practical implementation falls significantly short, particularly in legal contexts where language barriers compound these injustices.

An example of this systemic failure is evident in the professional status and remuneration of Indigenous language interpreters in the legal system. Contrary to their English-Spanish counterparts who can earn substantial monthly wages, Indigenous language interpreters are frequently expected to provide their services pro bono, reflecting the broader societal undervaluation of Indigenous cultures and languages. This disparity not only underlines economic inequalities but also devalues the crucial cultural bridging role these interpreters play.

This undervaluation is further evidenced by data showing that of the 7,011 Indigenous individuals incarcerated in Mexico, nearly 85.2% did not have access to an interpreter, and 99% have been detained without a sentence1. The lack of interpreters is a clear violation of their rights, exacerbated by a judiciary that routinely fails to provide this essential service despite legal mandates. This often results in wrongful incarcerations and severe rights violations, like torture.

Discrimination against Indigenous peoples extend beyond the justice system into everyday societal interactions. Nationally, 28.0% of the Indigenous population aged 12 and older report experiencing discrimination, often based on cultural expressions such as attire or language2. This societal bias manifests in educational settings, healthcare, and employment, where linguistic barriers and cultural misunderstandings are pervasive.

The educational challenges are particularly acute. The literacy rates among Indigenous language speakers are distressingly low, with 19.8% of this population unable to read or write, rising dramatically with age3. This educational gap is compounded by the fact that many teachers in Indigenous schools do not speak the specific language of the community they serve, creating significant barriers in learning and communication – and the ability of Indigenous people to interact effectively with the state. These systemic issues are rooted in a historical context of marginalization and efforts to erase Indigenous languages and cultures, continuing to affect the recognition and valuation of Indigenous contributions to national heritage. Eduardo's initiative seeks to transform the interpreter role into one of advocacy and empowerment, promoting a societal shift in the appreciation and integration of Indigenous cultural identities.

Despite existing laws such as the General Recommendation 45/20214, which mandates assistance for Indigenous persons in criminal proceedings by interpreters knowledgeable in their language and culture, compliance is woefully inadequate. This legal framework is intended to ensure that Indigenous persons can fully exercise their rights during judicial processes, yet the reality on the ground reflects a stark disconnect between policy and practice.

By addressing these entrenched issues, Eduardo’s work is poised to catalyze a broader shift in how Indigenous rights and contributions are perceived and integrated into national discourses and practices, ensuring that Indigenous voices are not only heard but are influential in shaping the policies that affect their lives.

Eduardo's approach to addressing systemic issues facing Indigenous communities in Mexico combines the professionalization of Indigenous language interpreters, advocacy for legal reform, and a profound revaluation of Indigenous cultures. At the core of his strategy is the creation of a robust network of interpreters who actively defend Indigenous communities’ rights, starting with the justice system. This network ensures that Indigenous peoples can communicate in their languages within public institutions to prevent discrimination and rights violations.

Based on his personal experience, Eduardo recognized early on that young Indigenous people had not lost their language entirely and saw the potential to professionalize this skill. He initiated the Network of Interpreters by inviting students at his university to become part of a transformative movement, using a methodology he developed to form them as interpreters. His methodology blends technical skills in translation and interpretation with comprehensive human rights education, legal knowledge, understanding of Indigenous and official justice systems, and cultural sensitivity. These skills equip interpreters to identify and address discrimination and rights violations in interactions with institutions, taking an active role as Indigenous advocates.

A significant part of Eduardo’s model involves bridging generational gaps within Indigenous communities. He fosters dialogue between the youth, who may feel disconnected from their ancestral roots and do not have full fluency, and elders, who hold traditional knowledge. During their certification process, they engage elders in their community to deepen their knowledge of Indigenous languages and knowledge and collaborate with them to identify appropriate translations for certain concepts in institutional settings. This intergenerational exchange not only preserves cultural heritage but has also sparked youth-led efforts to elevate the value of elders as keepers of Indigenous wisdom. Interpreters are leading a paradigm shift that tackles cultural and linguistic loss, encouraging old and new Indigenous generations to take pride in their roots and mobilize community action for their rights.

Eduardo's recruitment strategy targets Indigenous youth through university partnerships and community outreach, leveraging partnerships with grassroots organizations and municipal governments to expand reach. Once recruited, participants undergo a rigorous six-month certification program, after which they are placed through collaborations with public institutions, ensuring interpreters are assigned where linguistic and cultural bridging is most needed.

The network currently engages over 120 professional interpreters in 64 linguistic variants of Zapotec. It is active in most courtrooms across Oaxaca’s 30 judicial districts and, through the Oaxacan diaspora, its impact has expanded to 5 other states in Mexico and 3 in the United States. Interpreters have served over 800 people in Mexico and 250 in the US in the past five years, significantly impacting judicial outcomes. For instance, they have directly contributed to the release of 70 Indigenous individuals wrongfully incarcerated. Importantly, the inclusion of women in these roles has been critical, particularly in cases of sexual abuse, where female interpreters have made it easier for women to come forward and seek justice.

Interpreters also help change the attitudes of public sector decision-makers and operators. Eduardo partners with public institutions to implement workshops with government officials and legal professionals, reaching 90 people within one year. These spaces encourage learning about the cultural nuances vital for competent service delivery with Indigenous peoples, the value of interculturality, and Indigenous rights. This strategy not only seeks to inform but also to transform attitudes, aiming for a cultural shift within institutions to tackle racism and discrimination. To increase enforcement and accountability, Interpreters also support users to pursue litigation when they witness abuses and human rights violations. The aim is to reduce impunity so that decision-makers and operators have incentives to collaborate with interpreters and ensure culturally-sensitive, respectful attention.

To scale his approach, Eduardo engages universities strategic partners in transforming the paradigm of interpreter education. He is integrating his pedagogical approach into university curricula to fundamentally alter how interpretation professionals are prepared for their roles, ensuring that the next generation of interpreters is not only linguistically competent but also well-versed in the legal and ethical dimensions of their work. Three universities in Oaxaca have incorporated the model so far. Universities are also research collaborators to continue refining the model.

Recognizing the need for specialized knowledge, Eduardo is developing tracks that combine his framework with technical expertise in fields critical to Indigenous communities: health to support those working in hospitals; mental health to support psychologists and social workers in Indigenous communities; women interpreters for gender-based violence victims; and environmental expertise to aid consultation processes for infrastructure projects. Eduardo is starting with a pilot in the health sector, which has already shown encouraging impact on medical personnel’s attitudes, resulting in more accurate diagnoses and culturally sensitive care, and preventing rights violations such as obstetric violence. These adaptations illustrate the versatility of Eduardo’s model.

To further institutionalize the model, Eduardo is also pursuing policy changes. Although access to interpreters in the judicial system is required by law, there is no comprehensive policy for employing Indigenous language interpreters. They are often engaged on a volunteer basis or as external contractors, facing poor salaries and lacking benefits. Recognizing that such precarity makes the profession unattractive, Eduardo advocates for greater recognition of interpreters’ work and stronger labor rights to bolster incentives. In January 2023, his organization, along with an NGO partner, initiated litigation to compel the state of Oaxaca to establish a Law of Interpreters and Translators. This law would regulate professionalization, establish salary frameworks, and offer social security, creating a precedent for other states and paving the way for a national law.

Eduardo harnesses various communication platforms to highlight the role of interpreters and raise awareness about Indigenous rights. The "Conocer para Defender" campaign plays a critical role in this strategy by translating and broadcasting audio recordings of legal rights in over 30 Indigenous languages across community radio stations, empowering Indigenous individuals with knowledge and confidence to demand compliance. Additionally, his documentary filmmaking in the Zapotec language deepens cultural understanding and sparks dialogue, enhancing his strategy of legal education and cultural celebration and preservation.

Looking forward, Eduardo is set on expanding his influence to other Indigenous groups in Mexico and into more Latin American countries through local partners, aiming to create a regional network of trained interpreter-advocates. He has already upskilled interpreters in Peru and is working to deepen engagement there, and plans to scale to Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Guatemala. Eduardo is also packaging his model for interpreter education for wider adoption by academic institutions, government agencies, and international organizations.

The Network of Interpreters has the potential to detonate a profound ripple effect. Galvanized by their newfound sense of identity and confidence in their changemaking power, most young interpreters have launched their own initiatives addressing different dimensions of Indigenous rights. While Eduardo is only starting to gauge this impact, he has clearly struck a vein that could usher in a new wave of Indigenous mobilization.

Eduardo's journey into social entrepreneurship is rooted deeply in his personal history and cultural heritage. Born in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, into a mezcal-producing family, he was surrounded by the rich traditions of the Zapotec community, a language and culture underappreciated by the wider world. Growing up, Eduardo was taught Zapotec as a secret code within the home, a language rich with untranslatable words tied closely to the land and its rituals. Despite this deep cultural connection, Eduardo's father urged him and his siblings to master Spanish to avoid discrimination—a reflection of the systemic biases against Indigenous languages. He realized that he and his siblings were among the last in their family fluent in Zapotec. This sparked a deep concern for the preservation of his culture and language.

At just 13 years old, Eduardo was named as a Children’s Ambassador for his community by the National System for Integral Family Development (DIF in Spanish). He led local projects to revitalize Zapotec culture among youth, which led him and his team to win national recognition and a transformative trip to Nayarit that showcased the positive impact of his cultural heritage and brought attention to his community. This experience was not only a source of pride but also highlighted the potential of youth and Indigenous languages in driving social change.

Eduardo's resolve to advocate for Indigenous rights deepened during his studies in Political Science at UNAM in Mexico City. The shift from his Indigenous community to the bustling capital marked a significant transition, where he initially camouflaged his identity to blend in. However, his engagement with a university program for Indigenous students reignited his commitment to his roots, prompting him to make his identity a visible and political statement within predominantly Spanish-speaking spaces. He took part in an exchange program in the U.S. for Indigenous youth from around the world, hosted in Arizona and Boston, focusing on providing these young leaders with a global perspective on Indigenous rights and advocacy. The exchange aimed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to address the unique challenges faced by Indigenous communities in their respective countries.

Upon returning to Mexico, Eduardo's professional path took a decisive turn while assisting in the legal case of his aunt's daughter femicide trial. Acting as an interpreter, he was confronted with the systemic failings and discrimination against Indigenous language speakers within the justice system. Eduardo decided to become a certified interpreter to support other Indigenous persons gain access to justice. The certification process only deepened his resolve, as he discovered that existing programs were woefully disconnected from the realities of Indigenous communities and privileged neutrality, wasting interpreter’s potential to serve as bridges between disenfranchised citizens and the state. This experience galvanized his mission to professionalize and dignify the role of Indigenous interpreters.