Rafael Cortés

Guatemalan environmentalist who pioneered rainforest conservation through indigenous community partnerships

Rafael Cortés (1962-2001) was a Guatemalan biologist whose collaborative conservation model preserved 1.2 million acres of Maya Biosphere Reserve. Working with Mayan communities, he developed eco-tourism frameworks that balanced preservation with economic needs, a concept later adopted in UNESCO's World Heritage guidelines. His 1996 book 《Guardians of the Jaguar》 became required reading in environmental policy circles. Cortés' satellite monitoring system, created with NASA scientists, provided the first real-time deforestation tracking in Central America. Despite his tragic murder in 2001, his legacy endures through the Cortés Biodiversity Institute, which continues his work in 15 countries. His methods are credited with reducing illegal logging by 40% in protected zones by 2000.