The environmental organization Sachamama, in partnership with the Spanish news agency EFE, presented the eighth edition of its list of the 100 Latinos Most Committed to Climate Action for 2026, marking the International Day of Climate Action, and three Puerto Ricans made the list: Steffanie Munguía, Héctor "Tito" Varela Vélez and Raimundo Espinoza. Munguía is a researcher and environmentalist specializing in marine and bird conservation who leads avian conservation programs at the Miami Zoo in Florida, with work focused on wildlife management and sustainability in the Caribbean.
Varela Vélez, an activist with Surfrider Foundation Puerto Rico, has protected coasts, denounced maritime pollution and raised public awareness in the island’s northeast. Espinoza leads work through Conservación ConCiencia on removing abandoned fishing gear, electronic coastal monitoring with fishing communities, and coral reef protection. Others honored include Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, European Commission executive vice president Teresa Ribera, artist Gloria Estefan, and Manuel Pulgar Vidal of WWF.
This year the initiative opened 20 slots for public nominations, received between September 2 and 10, alongside proposals from more than 30 organizations, followed by a public vote and evaluation by an international jury.