In 2024, we continued building power for and alongside our gente through our Sin, Contra, y Desde el Estado strategies – organizing without, against, and within the state to create meaningful change. This framework is central to how we organize and build power, shaping campaigns, events, and efforts rooted in the needs and realities of our gente. (You can learn more by watching our Building Power Sin, Contra y Desde el Estado video here!) Whether it was creating alternatives Sin el Estado, resisting Contra el Estado, or driving change Desde el Estado (or a combination of all three), here are some of the key moments we shared together in 2024.
Sin El Estado:
This year, our work Sin el Estado focused on organizing outside of institutional systems to strengthen collective autonomy, self-determination, and el Buenvivir. Through transformative trainings, cross-border conversations with our compas on the ground in other countries, and local grassroots initiatives, we created spaces for our gente to connect, learn, and take action on their own terms.
In Puerto Rico, we hosted El Institutito, a space for political education and organizing skill-building. Participants came together in early June and sharpened their strategies for impactful campaigns, strengthened grassroots support, and explored the lessons we could pull from past movements.
We took our work across borders this year with our Conversaciones con Latinoamérica y el Caribe livestream series, creating spaces to connect with leaders and movements across the region. Afro-Colombian civil rights lawyer Alí Bantú Ashanti broke down the challenges Colombia’s progressive government is facing, while Nicole Alexandra Pichardo Almonte from the Dominican Republic shared firsthand how social movements are confronting roadblocks to progress and organizing for lasting change. In El Salvador, Francisco Parada Rodriguez brought insight into local resistance movements, and in Chicago, we hosted a dinner with Thelma Cabrera and Neftali Lopez from CODECA in Guatemala, where they shared powerful stories from the frontlines of their fight for justice.
In recognition of International Women’s Day, we also hosted 2 livestream conversations about communitarian feminism, with Ashanti Torres from Colectiva Contingencia Feminista in Colombia and Adriana Guzman, an indigenous activist leading anti-patriarchal, feminist efforts in Bolivia. All these conversations reminded us that our struggles are deeply interconnected—it’s through shared strategies, collective liberation, and building solidarity juntes that we’ll create the change we need.
Our educational work continued with a focus on resisting surveillance and rethinking technology. In September, we co-hosted the webinar Fighting ICE Mass Raids: Lessons Across Administrations alongside Just Futures Law and Surveillance Resistance Lab, analyzing how immigration enforcement tech has evolved, and sharing tools to fight back. Through our partnership with Universidad Abierta de Recoleta in Chile, we wrapped up the International Diploma in Data Surveillance and Democracy, a transformative program that unpacked how data and tech are used to control our lives, from surveillance systems to AI. The final course, “Real Utopias: What Do We Do With Digital Technologies?”, pushed us to think critically about how we can reclaim and repurpose technology to serve justice and strengthen our movements.
Beyond education, we took direct action to support grassroots organizers through La Vida Local, offering up to $5,000 for projects that are working to directly address the gaps left behind by the state. These initiatives embody Mijente’s vision of building collective autonomy, el Buenvivir, and self-governance. As we face an emboldened far right and the reality of a second Trump presidency, we know that we’re going to need each other more than ever. It’s clear that relying on the state isn’t an option, and the work of building power from the grassroots will be more critical than ever in the fights ahead. We can’t wait to share more about the compas behind the powerful projects we’re funding next year—stay tuned!
In 2024, our Sin el Estado work proved that organizing outside broken systems is not only possible but needed. From Puerto Rico to Chicago, Guatemala to the Dominican Republic, and beyond, we’re set to continue building a future rooted in autonomy, justice, and liberation for our gente– regardless of what El Estado has to say about it.
Contra El Estado:
When the state fails us, targets us, or outright harms us, our people rise up to fight back. From shutting down harmful tech in Chicago to exposing government corruption in Puerto Rico, standing in solidarity with global movements in calling for an end to the Palestinian genocide, and preparing for the challenges ahead, we’ve been relentless in building power against the systems that oppress us.
In February, we celebrated a major win with the Stop ShotSpotter Coalition in Chicago, Illinois, where community organizing forced the removal of this harmful surveillance technology from neighborhoods. We hosted a conversation featuring our National Organizer Cinthya Rodriguez and Jose Manuel Almanza from the Stop ShotSpotter Coalition to unpack how this victory was possible and talk about what comes next in the fight to end surveillance technologies targeting Black and Brown communities.
In August, we joined thousands of people at the Democratic National Convention to demand justice for Palestine. Standing in solidarity with our members and a powerful coalition of allies, we marched to call for an end to the genocide and show that our movements for liberation are global. We also launched two new items on La Tiendita, our Un Solo Pueblo Tee and our Palestina Libre Sticker, with half of our proceeds going directly to U.S. Palestinian-led organizations.
We also called out corruption in the so-called “clean energy” sector with our report, Las Caras Sucias de la Energía Limpia (The Dirty Faces of Clean Energy). This report reveals how political donations and corporate influence have paved the way for harmful energy projects that hurt local communities, erode trust, and prioritize profit over people. Along with the report, we launched a petition demanding the creation of a public energy system owned and managed by the community to address these injustices. Hundreds of people joined us in demanding energy solutions that actually serve our gente, not corporate interests.
With the reality of a second Trump presidency up ahead, we know the fight against anti-immigrant policies and the rhetoric that comes with it will be fiercer than ever. That’s why we refused to slow down post-election and went straight into launching our Skill Up + Crew Up Deportation Defense Series:, a three-part virtual series happening this month focused on building the knowledge and tools needed to protect our communities.
From learning how to slow the deportation machine to organizing with compas from Organiza TX, Siembra NC, and GLAHR, we’re sharing strategies to fight back against raids, border militarization, and deportation policies. Deportation defense has always been a critical way to stand in solidarity with immigrant communities, and we’re committed to preparing our people for the battles ahead.
We know what we’re up against. But we’ve been here before. We come from a long lineage of ancestral wisdom that has taught us how to resist—whether against authoritarian regimes or corrupt governments. This fight is nothing new, and we’re in it together, juntes.
Desde El Estado:
In the wake of Trump’s return to power, many are feeling anger, frustration, and fear—feelings that are all too familiar for our gente. This isn’t the first time we’ve faced a political system designed to harm us, and it won’t be the last. But what history shows us, and what we carry with us, is that when the stakes are this high, we organize. We fight. And we build power in the ways that matter most.
This year, through Desde el Estado, we worked to strategically engage with systems to protect what we’ve won and create the conditions for future fights. Whether it was endorsing candidates who were unapologetic in their commitment to securing el Buenvivir, mobilizing voters that traditional outreach overlooks, or equipping grassroots campaigns with the tools they need, we leaned into our communities to reclaim political space and ensure our voices were heard.
In Chicago, we supported the Bring Chicago Home Coalition, mobilizing alongside Alderperson Jessie Fuentes to knock doors for a historic ballot measure to fund affordable housing and prevent homelessness. The measure sought to amend the real estate transfer tax, making the wealthy pay their fair share while ensuring resources go to those who need them most. While the fight for housing justice is far from over, this campaign showed the power of organizing locally to take on systemic inequality.
In Puerto Rico, we hosted the second part of El Institutito, a two-day training to strengthen grassroots electoral campaigns. Participants included campaign teams and candidates, who engaged in workshops on everything from fundraising and messaging to volunteer management and digital organizing. Through these sessions, we shared tools and strategies to run transformative campaigns while centering community and building base power. The participants left with plans in hand and a deeper understanding of how to fight for their communities desde el Estado while staying grounded in their values.
Heading into the election, we hit the road with El Chisme 2024 Tour, traveling to more than 20 cities to connect with thousands of compas. For us, political chisme means telling the truth about what’s happening to our communities and giving people the tools to fight back. Through drag shows, music, comedy showcases, and storytelling, we created spaces that celebrated our cultura, uplifted our resilience, and organized for the future. The tour wasn’t just about naming the challenges we face—it was about showing that our movements are full of joy, creativity, and the power to bring the change we need.
We also launched the Ni Un Paso Atrás campaign this fall, activating Latinx voters in key battleground states to push back against the far-right agenda. From Wisconsin to Georgia to North Carolina, we organized virtual phone banks, text banks, and in-person canvasses to reach thousands of voters where they are. In Wisconsin, we partnered with SEIU for the Midwest Day of Action, organizing canvasses in Milwaukee. Our Dia de los Muertos Canvass brought people together to honor our ancestors while fighting for our future, and our targeted outreach to Puerto Rican voters in the wake of Tony Heathcliff’s racist and xenophobic “jokes” ensured that often-overlooked voices were heard.
Trump’s return to the presidency has unleashed a dangerous agenda, including the Project 2025 plan crafted by far-right think tanks. This plan aims to dismantle workers’ rights, reproductive justice, healthcare access, and civil rights, while rolling back hard-fought wins for our communities. But we’ve faced these threats before– whether from colonial regimes in Latin America or militarized governments here in the U.S.– and every time, we’ve fought back.
We know that electoral work alone isn’t enough, but it’s a critical piece of the fight desde el Estado. It’s about creating the conditions to defend our people, protect our wins, and organize for the long haul. Whether it’s building political infrastructure in battleground states, mobilizing against harmful policies, or developing local strategies to resist, we’re preparing for what’s ahead.
In 2024, we continued building power through our Sin, Contra, y Desde el Estado strategies, proving that no matter the challenges, our communities are ready to organize, resist, and fight for the future we deserve.
As we prepare for the fights ahead, one thing is clear: our power lies in what we build together. From Chicago to Puerto Rico, from local campaigns to global solidarity, we’ve shown time and again that there’s no single way to fight– but when we come together, we’re unstoppable.
Sin, Contra, y Desde All At Once:
In the same way that we come together, so do our Sin, Contra, y Desde strategies. No single approach can meet all the challenges we face– it takes a mix, working in tandem, to confront complex systems of oppression and create the change we need. Sometimes we resist Contra el Estado while building power Sin el Estado, or we step into the fight Desde el Estado while leaning on the grassroots momentum we’ve built outside of it. This interconnected framework allows us to stay flexible, strategic, and grounded in what’s best for our gente in each moment.
We saw this happen in real time last June during Take Back Tech, a powerful three-day gathering where over 450 organizers, advocates, and workers came together to strategize and deepen our connections to combat tech’s worst harms across 40 workshops with over 70 presenters.
A big part of Take Back Tech was about fighting back Contra el Estado—resisting harmful technologies like surveillance systems and corporate exploitation that target Black and Brown communities. At the same time, folks were also diving into Sin el Estado strategies, imagining and building tech alternatives rooted in collective autonomy, where our people are in control of the tools that shape our lives. And then there were the Desde el Estado conversations, focused on holding governments accountable and pushing for policies to regulate harmful tech.
Take Back Tech showed that fighting the harms of tech isn’t a one-lane fight—it takes resisting what oppresses us, creating alternatives outside the system, and strategically engaging to challenge power from the inside.
Our launch of our Nuestro Horizonte es El Buenvivir toolkit is another example of how our Sin, Contra, y Desde el Estado strategies work together. The toolkit offers solutions for seven key issue areas—Local Economy, Housing, Immigration, True Public Safety, Climate Catastrophe, Trans Liberation, and Abortion—while connecting the ways we fight for justice across multiple fronts. It builds power Sin el Estado by equipping organizers to create grassroots alternatives to the broken systems we’re told to accept. At the same time, it includes strategies for resisting Contra el Estado by pushing back against oppressive policies and systems that harm our communities. And through Desde el Estado, it provides tools to engage politically, such as advocating for progressive policies or holding our local elected officials accountable.
Nuestro Horizonte es El Buenvivir reflects the power of combining strategies to meet the needs of our gente, proving that our fights are strongest when they’re interconnected.
Together, these two efforts highlight why our Sin, Contra, y Desde framework are so crucial, especially for the political moment we find ourselves in again. Each strategy works off of the other, and it’s through combining these strategies that we build the kind of power our gente needs to win.
Looking Ahead to 2025
The road ahead won’t be easy, and we won’t pretend it is, but we’ve never backed down before. In every campaign and fight to come, we’re ready to put our Sin, Contra, y Desde approaches to the test and know that sometimes, it’s going to take more than one. No matter what the fights ahead look like, we know one thing– We’ll keep drawing on the lessons learned from this year and will continue organizing, keep resisting, and keep creating the change our gente needs.
Nos vemos en el 2025.