LEYLA LETICIA FUENTES TREJO

Leyla Leticia Fuentes Trejo was born in Belén Gualcho, Ocotepeque, Honduras, a town of hardworking and humble people. In her country, she’s a teacher and politician. 

 

Her parents, Digna Esperanza Trejo and Miguel Ángel Fuentes, descended from families who started with nothing and later found joy generating local employment opportunities to aid their neighbors. Doña Leyla’s parents were politicians, public servants, and outspoken defenders against injustices committed by corrupt government officials.  Doña Leyla’s father was assassinated during the 1980s.

 

In 1992, Doña Leyla graduated with a degree in primary education. In 2015, she completed a license in social sciences from Universidad Pedagógica Francisco Morazán. Although she’d taught for 22 years, she was blacklisted from employment by the National Party, the reigning and abusive political party, which she and her family opposed.

 

Although politically active since 15 years old, Doña Leyla didn’t formally participate in politics until 2016. That year, she was named a candidate for the Liberal Party, the National Party’s opposition. She participated in elections with the slogan “Por Honduras, Por Belén”

 

She spent a year in the municipality, managing development projects. She vocally opposed the National Party’s injustices at local and national levels. Towards the end of 2018, she received death threats from National Party members—forcing her to abandon her town, leave behind all belongings in her homeland, and immigrate to this country with her family.

 

Now Doña Leyla is here, still fighting. And always helping those in her hometown who need her. She’s part of a group called  “Belén para Belén” (“Belén for Belén”), which aids townspeople economically and gets them on their feet. 

 

Currently, in the United States, this Educator, Politician, and Revolutionary works as a House Maid with Regina’s Maids. Doña Leyla dreams of practicing her profession in this country and she will.