Sunday Read: Getting To Know Whistleblower Attorneys: María de los Ángeles Estrada
National Whistleblower Center (NWC) launched the “Getting to Know Whistleblower Attorneys” feature to explore the qualities and motivations of some of the field’s leading practitioners.
One such attorney is María de los Ángeles Estrada. Based in Mexico City, Mexico, Ángeles has an extremely impressive resume, serving as the Executive Director of the Transparency, Anticorruption, and Digitalization Initiative at the School of Social Sciences and Government, and as an Administrative Law and Anti-corruption professor at the Tecnológico de Monterrey. Ángeles is a Senior Advisor to the NWC and made an impactful appearance as a speaker during National Whistleblower Day 2024.
She is one of the brightest minds driving whistleblower law and fighting corruption in Mexico and for environmental equity — especially concerning our oceans and deep sea mining. In this Sunday Read, and in the spirit of Hispanic Heritage Month, we interview this impassioned advocate to learn what inspires her on a daily basis to fight for change.
An Interview with María de los Ángeles Estrada
What inspired you to pursue a career in law?
At 18 years old, I was driven by both passion and a sense of responsibility when I chose to study law in Mexico. At that time, I realized how few women were represented in the legal field, and I believed that if more women became litigants and judges, we could significantly improve the justice system. I felt that a more inclusive judiciary would lead to a stronger, more equitable Judicial Branch, especially given the challenges we were facing in Mexico during the late 1990s.
What inspired you to enter whistleblower law?
Many years after completing my Bachelor’s and Master’s in International Law, I became deeply involved with whistleblower law. My first experience in this area started during my time as a federal public servant at the National Transparency and Data Protection Agency of Mexico (IFAI). When I arrived, the IFAI was new, it was founded in 2002, and I was part of one of the five legal teams tasked with drafting resolution projects to resolve access to public information disputes between citizens and authorities. These authorities often denied access to information or claimed it didn’t exist. At that time, secrecy had been embedded in Mexican society since the 1930s, and transparency was met with significant obstacles.
In the early days of transparency in Mexico, there were no structured public records, and we were largely dependent on the cooperation of public servants to locate requested information. My boss believed that to break the secrecy, we needed to engage directly with those on the inside. This meant explaining to them the value of transparency — not just for the sake of releasing information, but to demonstrate the professionalism and ethical diligence of their work. Many times, with considerable fear of losing their jobs, these public servants pointed us toward the requested information or, in some cases, handed us the documents themselves. Over time, this practice spread across other transparency offices, and gradually, transparency became the norm. This experience gave me the tools to engage with people afraid to speak up.
Years later, during my Master’s at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, I immersed myself in Transitional Justice. One of its key principles is ‘Truth’ — the right of victims to know the circumstances that affected their human rights and the identity of the perpetrators. Whistleblowers play an essential role in exposing these truths, as they often possess the hidden knowledge that can clarify these situations. Their bravery in coming forward can make the difference between continued injustice and accountability. Motivated by this, I took several courses focused on how to work with potential whistleblowers, learning the best practices for supporting and protecting them as they take these courageous steps toward transparency and justice.
How does the Mexican whistleblower landscape differ from the U.S.?
The difference between the Mexican and U.S. whistleblower landscapes is like night and day. In Mexico, protections for whistleblowers are almost non-existent. We’re still debating the basic concept of what to call them — ‘alertador,’ ‘informante,’ ‘denunciante,’ or ‘delator.’ Mexico’s legal tradition requires that the subjects who are entitled to specific rights have to be clearly defined and named. Unfortunately, this has created significant issues in defining who qualifies as a whistleblower and differentiating them from regular informants, witnesses, or complainants.
Another major difference is the approach to rewards. In Mexico, there’s a lingering belief that reporting a crime or wrongdoing is a civic duty that should be met with nothing more than a simple ‘thank you’ from authorities. This view is not only unrealistic but borderline delusional when considering the immense financial, psychological, social, familial, and professional costs a whistleblower must bear when stepping forward. In contrast, the U.S. has a more established framework for incentivizing whistleblowers, often offering financial rewards that recognize the personal risks involved. These rewards are a form of compensation for the heavy toll whistleblowers pay, a concept that is still far from being accepted in Mexico.
In your experience, what are the most common reasons whistleblowers come forward?
In Mexico, whistleblowers rarely come forward on their own; they often turn to journalists or activists to reveal their information. The main reason for this is fear — those who do come forward directly face immense danger. The few whistleblowers who have stepped into the spotlight have faced tragic consequences, including death or imprisonment, particularly when they expose politicians, criminal figures, or powerful businesspeople.
Despite these risks, I believe whistleblowers come forward primarily out of a deep sense of ethics and integrity. They are driven by the hope that their actions will lead to an investigation or sanction against the wrongdoer, and ultimately, that the situation will improve.
In a country where whistleblower protections are almost non-existent, these individuals are motivated by a commitment to justice, often with little expectation of personal benefit or reward.
You launched #WhistleblowingCorruptionCoronavirus, a project recognized by the Paris Peace Forum 2020 as one of the 100 initiatives to build a better world post the COVID-19 pandemic. What is the status today?
It was an incredible experience, and we received hundreds of reports during the extreme circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, #WhistleblowingCorruptionCoronavirus stands as a valuable academic case study, showing that corruption tends to increase in times of severe human and health vulnerabilities. This demonstrated the urgent need for more platforms where people can safely report their experiences with corruption.
We, the team behind this initiative, believe it was a strong starting point, one that should be revisited and enhanced. Currently, we are seeking financial resources to revive and improve the project, as we are convinced it can play a crucial role in future crises.
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NWC thanks María de los Ángeles Estrada for her honest insight and perspective. Learn more about her here or read more on her whistleblower career in a future edition of Sunday Read. Make sure to join NWC’s mailing list, subscribe to the newsletter on LinkedIn, and follow us on Medium to ensure you get notifications for Part 2!
Get to know other whistleblower attorneys, such as:
The “Getting To Know Whistleblower Attorneys” series will continue.
Resources For Whistleblowers
The decision to come forward is not one to be taken lightly, nor should selecting a whistleblower lawyer. NWC provides resources that can connect you with the right legal professional.
You can also learn more about the type of whistleblower lawyer needed for your claim in Rules for Whistleblowers: A Handbook for Doing What’s Right, written by NWC Founder and Chairman of the Board Stephen M. Kohn.
Support NWC
NWC fights to bolster whistleblower programs, inform the public and employees in all sectors about available laws and protections, and help connect whistleblowers with the right legal representation. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit our awareness building work is made possible with the support of our generous donors. Please consider donating $100 today to help us continue to educate the public on how to find help when it is time for them to blow the whistle, and donors who donate $100 or more will receive a copy of Rules for Whistleblowers.
This article was written by Justin Smulison, a professional writer, podcaster, and event host based in New York.
