Marcela Benitez

Marcela Benitez, a geographer and sociologist by training, spent seven years traveling throughout Argentina as part of her work as an academic researcher for the National Research Council for Science and Technology (CONICET). During this time, she observed first-hand the economic and social problems that were arising in the small, isolated rural villages outside of Buenos Aires and other parts of the country.

On 1999, putting her research on small rural villages into action, she established RESPONDE, which has galvanized people to become involved in generating new opportunities for these villages. RESPONDE designs and implements strategies aimed at improving social and economic opportunities of rural communities at risk of disappearing due to depopulation.

Working with interested companies, universities, private citizens and local government, RESPONDE builds the capacity of townspeople to engage successfully in new avenues for generating livelihoods and economic and social projects. The organization creates social recovery models that can be replicated in other villages in Argentina and other countries.

Benitez was named in 2002 by Diario La Nación as one of 100 True Argentine Leaders of Today.