MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th August, 2020) The French non-profit organization Agronomes et Veterinaires Sans Frontieres (AVSF) on Tuesday confirmed that one of its employees was killed by unidentified individuals in Guatemala on Monday night.
AVSF is a France-based international organization for global solidarity, the support of peasant agriculture and the recognition of rights for indigenous communities. It has departments in Asian, African and Latin American countries.
�"It is with great sadness that we confirm the death of our colleague Benoit Maria, head of AVSF in Guatemala, last night. Benoit was cowardly murdered by armed individuals in the Santa Cruz del Quiche region on August 10, 2020, while on his way to his workplace in indigenous communities," the AVSF's statement read, adding that it sympathizes with the family of the deceased.
The French Embassy in Guatemala also expressed its condolences to the family of the victim and noted that it works closely with the country's authorities and the NGO to find out who was behind the murder, and their further punishment.
Maria was living in Guatemala for over twenty years, having been engaged in local agricultural projects and defending the rights of indigenous communities. He had managed Guatemala's AVSF department, aimed at improving living conditions and protecting the rights of peasant communities hit by poverty. �
