Maria McFarland Sanchez-Moreno

Maria McFarland Sanchez-Moreno serves as the Acting Deputy Program Director at Human Rights Watch, overseeing critical divisions such as Americas, Children's Rights, Economic Justice, and Women's Rights while contributing to the organization’s multi-year strategic planning. Previously, Maria held the position of Executive Director at the Drug Policy Alliance, advocating for drug policy reform in the United States, including key initiatives that led to Oregon's groundbreaking decriminalization of drugs. With a solid foundation in legal expertise gained during tenures as a Senior Legal Advisor at Human Rights Watch and as an Associate Attorney at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, Maria has contributed to significant human rights work and authored the award-winning nonfiction book "There Are No Dead Here: A Story of Murder and Denial in Colombia." Maria's academic credentials include a J.D. from New York University School of Law and a B.A. in Philosophy from The University of Texas at Austin.