Rubuta ci gaba ga wannan sakin layi - Benavides ya fara aiki don kare hakkin dan adam da zaman lafiya a cikin shekarun 1970. Bayan juyin mulkin soja a El Salvador a 1979 da barkewar Salvadoran yakin basasa
, ta zama shugabar Kwamitin Ekumeniya don Taimakon Agaji, ƙungiyar da Akbishop Óscar Romero ke tallafawa. An kashe Romero a shekarar 1980. A cikin 1982 Benavides ta yi gudun hijira a Mexico da Amurka, kuma ta ci gaba da ƙoƙarinta daga can.