Karmen Ramírez Boscán

Carmen Felisa Ramírez Boscán (sometimes spelled Karmen; born 1982), also known by her indigenous name Wayúnkerra Epinayú, is a Colombian human rights activist and politician. A member of the Wayuu people, she first became known for leading the Wayuu Women's Force, which denounced paramilitary violence against indigenous groups, following the murders of several members of her family. Ramírez later additionally began campaigning against mining in traditional Wayuu lands, which led to her receiving death threats and ultimately feeling Colombia in 2009. Since 2022, she has been a member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia, representing Colombians living abroad.

Early life and education Ramírez was born in 1982 in Maicao, a city in La Guajira Department in northern Colombia. She is a member of the Wayuu people, a group indigenous to the Guajira Peninsula in Colombia and Venezuela. After completing her education, Ramírez moved to Bogotá in the early 2000s to study graphic design.

Activism While Ramírez was at university in Bogotá, her grandfather, uncle, and two of her cousins were murdered by paramilitary groups in La Guajira.

In addition to her peace work, Ramírez also became an environmentalist, campaigning against corporate interests in ancestral Wayuu lands in La Guajira.

In 2009, Ramírez fled Colombia after receiving death threats, settling in Geneva, Switzerland, where she subsequently married. In Switzerland, she established the website Lucify.ch, which aimed to support and empower migrant women living in the country. Ramírez went on to work as a consultant for organisations including the International Labour Organisation, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In 2013, Ramírez became a member of the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, publishing a report on the rights of indigenous women in Colombia. Additionally, she launched the committee's training course on indigenous women, CEDAW Indigena. That same year, Ramírez was recognised by the Global Fund for Women at its 25th anniversary gala in San Francisco, United States, for her work advocating for indigenous women in Latin America.

Political career In 2022, Ramírez was named as the Historic Pact for Colombia and Humane Colombia candidate for the international constituency representing Colombians living abroad in the Chamber of Representatives. During the election, Ramírez received 37, 220 votes, defeating the incumbent Democratic Centre candidate; she started in the role in July 2022.