Career
Benites was a diplomat who served as the Ecuadorean ambassador to a number of countries. Benites was Ecuador's ambassador to Uruguay, Bolivia, Argentina. He became the 28th Secretary General of the United Nations in 1973. By this time he was a veteran at the United Nations, having been to eighteen general assemblies, at twelve of these he had been Ecuador's main delegate.Mr. Benites has published several works, including Un Zapaodor de la Colonia (biographical notes on Eugenio Espejo); Argonautas de la Selva (biography of Captain Francisco de Orellana, discoverer of the Amazon River; the third edition is now being printed in Spain); and Ecuador Drama et Paradoja (social and economic study of his country). He was a working journalist during 15 years on the staff of El Universo of Guayaquil.