Martha Poma Luque (born 19 November 1964) is a Bolivian politician, trade unionist, and textile artisan who served as senator for La Paz from 2010 to 2015.
As a representative of El Alto's artisan sector, Poma led the push to revive a long-gridlocked artisanry bill and defended her constituency even when their position conflicted with ruling party policy.
Martha Poma was born on 19 November 1964 in Chojñapata Chiñaja,[α] a canton [es] in the Ancoraimes Municipality of western La Paz's highland Omasuyos Province.
Her family practiced agriculture and animal husbandry on the Altiplano; she was taught to work the fields, harvesting traditional Andean crops, primarily maize and potatoes.
[10] To improve her skill, Poma attended regular training workshops hosted by the Pastoral Social,[5] and she worked directly with the Church-affiliated charity Caritas Bolivia to deliver classes on sewing and weaving.
[10] Poma spent eighteen years as a trainer for Caritas's Pachamama Center from 1988 to 2005, providing vocational education to over 1,000 women in El Alto and surrounding provinces.
[12] Poma ran for a seat on the El Alto Municipal Council in 2004 as part of a slate of candidates presented by Integrative Social Autonomy (ASI), a minor political front.
In one notable instance, Poma was the lone ruling party senator to oppose a bill providing limited amnesty for drivers of unregistered vehicles.
[22] In keeping with the MAS's general practice of rotating out its incumbent representatives in favor of new cadres, Poma was not nominated for reelection in 2014, concluding her legislative service after just one term.