Helen Mack Chang

Who is Helen Mack Chang?

Helen Mack Chang is a Guatemalan businesswoman and human rights activist. She became an outspoken advocate for human rights after her sister, anthropologist Myrna Mack Chang, was assassinated by the Guatemalan military on September 11, 1990. She pursued prosecution of her sister's assailants, including ground-breaking cases in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, achieving convictions of one assailant and a high-ranking colonel. The Guatemalan government acknowledged responsibility in 2004 and has paid compensation to Mack and her family.

In 1992 she received the Right Livelihood Award in Sweden, and has received other awards for her human rights work. In 1993 she established the Myrna Mack Foundation, to support the prosecution of her sister's murder and do other work for human rights, establishing programs and support for victims. In 2010, she was appointed by Guatemala President Álvaro Colom to lead investigations into continuing police corruption and recommend changes.