Franklin Brito

Franklin José Brito Rodríguez (5 September 1960 – 30 August 2010) was a Venezuelan agricultural producer and biologist who gained national and international prominence over a land ownership dispute with the Venezuelan government's National Lands Institute INTI, which encouraged and allowed a neighboring farm owned by government supporters to invade and seize a large part of his land. He carried out a series of legal challenges and public protests from 2004, often coinciding with other protests such as the 2007 Venezuelan demonstrations. Brito's protests culminated in his death due to a hunger strike. Brito's death, which came in the highly charged pre-election atmosphere of the 2010 Venezuelan parliamentary election, led to widespread domestic and international media coverage.