Maria Antonia (Tonis) Montes is currently a senior program officer for the nonviolent action program at USIP. Montes leads USIP’s programming on nonviolent collective action and social movements for peace.

In her current role, Montes implements USIP's Synergizing Nonviolent Action and Peacebuilding (SNAP) training program in Latin America, as well as its participatory action research in Colombia. Montes has worked with USIP’s regional teams on comparative peace processes, process design, implementation, and mechanisms for the inclusion of women, religious actors and youth in peace processes.

Prior to her time at USIP, Montes taught English at Universidad Minuto de Dios in Bogotá, Colombia.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and Latin American studies from Wake Forest University and has an advanced degree in conflict resolution and peacebuilding from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá.

Publications By Maria Antonia

En Venezuela, la acción no violenta es clave para una transición democrática negociada

En Venezuela, la acción no violenta es clave para una transición democrática negociada

Thursday, August 15, 2024

El 28 de julio, Venezuela celebró una de las elecciones más importantes de su historia. La oposición política del país, liderada por María Corina Machado, superó la desilusión popular, las divisiones políticas y un sistema electoral amañado para obtener una aplastante victoria para su candidato de unidad, Edmundo González Urrutia. Según un grupo de la sociedad civil, los cálculos «extrapolados de los recibos oficiales del conteo de votos» de una muestra representativa de centros de votación locales otorgan a González el 66% de los votos. La oposición venezolana respondió al momento con una inspirada campaña prodemocracia.

Type: Analysis

Democracy & GovernanceMediation, Negotiation & DialogueNonviolent Action

In Venezuela, Nonviolent Action Is Key to a Negotiated Democratic Transition

In Venezuela, Nonviolent Action Is Key to a Negotiated Democratic Transition

Thursday, August 15, 2024

On July 28, Venezuela held one of the most consequential elections in its history. The country’s political opposition, led by Maria Corina Machado, overcame popular disillusionment, political divides and a rigged electoral system to earn a landslide victory for its unity candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia. According to one civil society group, estimates “extrapolated from the official vote count receipts” from a representative sample of local voting centers give González 66% of the vote. Venezuela’s opposition met the moment with an inspired pro-democracy campaign.

Type: Analysis

Democracy & GovernanceMediation, Negotiation & DialogueNonviolent Action

¿Qué papel pueden desempeñar los movimientos sociales noviolentos en procesos de paz?

¿Qué papel pueden desempeñar los movimientos sociales noviolentos en procesos de paz?

Thursday, August 8, 2024

Cuando comenzaron las negociaciones entre el gobierno colombiano y el grupo armado de las FARC en 2013, apenas había una mujer entre los 20 negociadores. Dos años más tarde, el 20% de los negociadores del gobierno y el 43% de los negociadores de las FARC eran mujeres. Su participación amplió la agenda de las negociaciones que desembocaron en el histórico acuerdo de paz de 2016, que incluía importantes provisiones en materia de género. La participación de las mujeres en el proceso de paz de Colombia constituyó un claro éxito en la construcción de paz, y fue posible gracias a una coalición nacional de mujeres muy diversa, que se movilizó para insistir en unas negociaciones que incluyeran la perspectiva de género.

Type: Analysis

Nonviolent ActionPeace Processes

What Role Can Nonviolent Social Movements Play in Peace Talks?

What Role Can Nonviolent Social Movements Play in Peace Talks?

Thursday, August 8, 2024

When negotiations between the Colombian government and the rebel FARC group kicked off in 2013, only one of the 20 negotiators was a woman. Two years later, 20 percent of government negotiators and 43 percent of FARC negotiators were women. Their participation broadened the agenda of the talks that led to the historic 2016 peace accord, which included important gender provisions. Women’s participation in the Colombia peace process was a clear peacebuilding success — and it was ultimately made possible by a diverse national women’s coalition, which mobilized to insist on gender-inclusive negotiations.

Type: Analysis

Nonviolent ActionPeace Processes

In Nicaragua, Crackdown on Religious Actors Further Imperils Return to Democracy

In Nicaragua, Crackdown on Religious Actors Further Imperils Return to Democracy

Friday, October 7, 2022

In recent months, Nicaragua’s government has escalated its effort to silence dissent by waging a systematic campaign of repression against the Catholic Church. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo’s crackdown on clergy and church-affiliated organizations critical of their authoritarian regime not only threatens Nicaragua’s religious freedom but also erects significant roadblocks to the country’s return to peace and democracy.

Type: Analysis

Democracy & GovernanceReligion

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