Though she retired before making her perpetual vows, she remained influenced by the concepts of liberation theology, which united Christian doctrine with left-wing political positions.

Exiled to Ecuador by the García Meza regime, she collaborated with Leonidas Proaño's Indigenous Ministry and worked closely with the country's peasant and social organizations.

A communist, well-read on the theories of Marxism–Leninism, Humberto Aguirre instilled in his daughter a sense of class consciousness and educated her on the need to combat social inequality:[4][5] I didn't understand much of what he was saying [at the time] ...

[3][8][10] Forced into exile for her political activism against the García Meza regime,[11] Aguirre took refuge in Ecuador, where she collaborated with Bishop Leonidas Proaño's Indigenous Ministry in Riobamba.

In the absence of the hard-right military dictatorships of the 1970s and '80s, many of Bolivia's human rights activists re-oriented themselves in opposition to the neoliberal economics of the new democratic governments, which dismantled many of the country's state-run social services.

[4][13] In 2009, public recognition for her work led the ruling Movement for Socialism (MAS-IPSP) to invite Aguirre to join the party's slate of candidates in the Tarija Department.

Though initially hesitant,[4] Aguirre accepted the nomination and was elected alongside singer Juan Enrique Jurado [es] as one of the MAS's two senators for that department.

[9][16] Upon the conclusion of her term, Aguirre was not nominated for reelection but remained active in politics, holding the vice presidency of the MAS's Tarija affiliate for some time.