Dr. Ignacio Benavente Torres
The activist who was reborn as the Phoenix
He was wrongfully accused of a crime he did not commit and was imprisoned; but with self-respect superior to that of his accusers, he studied law in captivity, then prepared his legal defense, managed to demonstrate
his innocence and went free.
It is a story of giants. While serving his sentence and preparing academically to face his defense, he swore to himself that as soon as he obtained his long-awaited freedom, he would dedicate his life to the defense of the human rights of people in a state of vulnerability, that is, those who have been unjustly imprisoned and have no means of defense.
And he fulfilled it. In 2013, he founded Pro Libertad and Human Rights in America and since then he has dedicated himself to defending people in vulnerable states
And not only has it dedicated itself to assisting people in judicial proceedings or already in prison, but it has also extended its attention to women victims of violence,
migrants and all kinds of cases in which violation of human rights is interfered. Already before 2013, in Tijuana, he had collaborated in 2010 with other civil organizations in the supervision of social programs
of the tijuanenses.
However, its vocation and objective was the defense of the human rights of people in a state of vulnerability.
The association for Liberty and Human Rights in America postulates that it is an organization that promotes, disseminates and teaches human rights in people in this vulnerability in such a way that they can reintegrate and resocialize to the community.
Due to his personal experience, lawyer Ignacio Benavente has dedicated a large part of his time and his life to the cases of unjustly imprisoned people, but since human rights violations occur in many areas of common life, the activist has been present at events that speak of its vocation and transparency.
In 2016, he promoted jobs for the thousands of Haitians who arrived at the Tijuana border - headquarters of his organization - and by the first half of that year, he had already managed to get 7,000 of these migrants to work. In addition, he is credited with building shelters for migrants and promoting strategies so that the women of Veracruz are not victims of violence, because, although Pro Libertad y Derechos Humanos en América is based in Tijuana, it has managed to establish representations of the organization in numerous states of the republic and even abroad.
Dr. Benavente Torres has been awarded by the 2019 International Leadership Forum in Colombia for his work in favor of migrants and the human rights of people in a state of vulnerability, and has also been considered World Ambassador of Peace.
Undoubtedly, the life and work of lawyer Ignacio Benavente is an enormous lesson in current morality, courage and personal perseverance, as well as love for others.
That is why he is one of the most prominent leaders in Baja California.
