Who is Laura Álvarez Tonis?
Laura Álvarez Tonis is a Mexican entrepreneur and human rights activist, recognized in the United Kingdom. Born in Iztapalapa, Mexico City, she holds a law degree from the Universidad ICEL, part of Nacer Global Education, Mexico’s largest private educational group owned by Jorge Nacer Gobera.
Career and Activism
Álvarez Tonis has had an impressive career, working in the internal control department of Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) and later serving at the now-defunct Rural Financial.
In 2013, she established a company to import fair-trade coffee and chocolate from Mexico to Europe. She is also part of Justice for Mexico Now, advocating for human rights and representing the Paz y Justicia project internationally.
Marriage to Jeremy Corbyn
Álvarez Tonis met her husband, Jeremy Corbyn, a Labour Party MP for Islington North in the UK Parliament, in 1999. She traveled to the UK to support her sister, Marcela, whose daughter had been kidnapped. Corbyn, then a laborist, introduced her to Jeremy Corbyn, leading to their friendship and eventual marriage in Mexico in 2019.
Corbyn described his wife as “very active, very political, and very well-informed,” highlighting her dedication to human rights and other causes.
Political Involvement
In June 2017, Jeremy Corbyn ran for the UK’s general elections to become the British Prime Minister, competing against Theresa May. Although May’s Conservatives won the elections, they lost the absolute majority needed to negotiate the Brexit.
Álvarez Tonis gained attention for declining an invitation in 2015 to accompany her husband to a state banquet with Queen Elizabeth II and China’s President Xi Jinping at Buckingham Palace.
Recent Activities
In November 2024, Álvarez Tonis visited Mexico and collaborated with Rob Johnson, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) Deputy General Secretary, in meetings with Mexican labor and tourism authorities. The goal was to create synergies with transport sector authorities and organizations.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who is Laura Álvarez Tonis? Laura Álvarez Tonis is a Mexican lawyer, entrepreneur, and human rights activist recognized in the United Kingdom.
- What is her educational background? She holds a law degree from the Universidad ICEL, part of Nacer Global Education, Mexico’s largest private educational group.
- What are her professional achievements? Álvarez Tonis has worked in human rights organizations, established a fair-trade import company, and is involved in Justice for Mexico Now.
- How did she meet her husband, Jeremy Corbyn? They met in 1999 when she traveled to the UK to support her sister, and their friendship led to marriage in 2019.
- What is her political involvement? She supported her husband’s 2017 Labour leadership campaign and declined an invitation to a state banquet with Queen Elizabeth II and President Xi Jinping.
- What recent activities has she been involved in? In November 2024, Álvarez Tonis collaborated with ITF’s Rob Johnson in meetings with Mexican labor and tourism authorities to foster transport sector synergies.
