Maritza Montero (November 11, 1939 – July 23, 2025) was a Venezuelan social psychologist, political scientist, academic, and researcher. She is widely recognized as a pioneering figure in the development of community psychology, political psychology, and liberation psychology in Latin America.
Life and Career
Montero was born in Venezuela. She earned a degree in psychology from the Central University of Venezuela, followed by a Master's degree in psychology from Simón Bolívar University, and a PhD in sociology from the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences at the University of Paris.
She worked at several academic institutions, including the Andrés Bello Catholic University, where from 1999 to 2005 she directed a graduate program in community psychology. She later served as a professor and program director at the Central University of Venezuela. From 2005 to 2006, she served as president of the International Society of Political Psychology.
Contributions to Psychology
Montero's research focused on community psychology, political psychology, and liberation psychology, with a particular emphasis on Latin America. She is credited with substantial contributions to the development of Community Political Psychology in the region, both methodologically and substantively. Her work emphasized critical and participatory approaches to social intervention, community empowerment, and the transformation of vulnerable communities.
Selected Publications
Montero authored numerous books, including:
- Caracter y Ambiente (1974)
- Psicología política latinoamericana (1987)
- Acción y discurso: problemas de psicología política en América Latina (1991)
- Construcción y crítica de la psicología social (1994)
- Community Psychology in Latin America: Basic Concepts and Illustrative Applications (1998)
- Teoría y práctica de la psicología comunitaria: La tensión entre comunidad y sociedad (2003)
- Introducción a la Psicología comunitaria (2004)
- Hacer para transformar (2006)
- Grupos focales (2009)
She also co-authored Psicología Social Comunitaria: Teoría, Método y Experiencia (1994) with Esther Wiesenfeld, and co-edited Psychology of Liberation: Theory and Applications (2011) with Christopher Sonn, a collection of works on liberation psychology drawing from Ignacio Martín-Baró, Orlando Fals Borda, and Paulo Freire.
Awards and Recognition
- Interamerican Psychology Award (1995) – awarded by the Interamerican Society of Psychology for outstanding contributions to the development of psychology as a science and profession in the Americas.
- Venezuelan National Science Award in Social Sciences (2000).
Montero is remembered as a groundbreaking contributor to multiple psychological sub-disciplines and a powerful voice in Latin America against social inequalities.
