Latin American Folk Singer Murdered in Ambush

(Newser) – Renowned Latin American folk singer Facundo Cabral was murdered today in an ambush on the streets of Guatemala City. Police say the 74-year-old Argentine was not the intended target of the professional hit, in which three cars surrounded the car he was riding in and opened fire, reports the AP. They think the gunmen were after his promoter, who was wounded in the attack. The slaying has prompted widespread anger and mourning, and even a personal call between the presidents of Argentina and Guatemala.

"For me, Facundo Cabral is a master," said Guatemala's 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Rigoberta Menchu, who wept at the scene of the killing. The AP recounts a fascinating life story for Cabral, who was born in poverty and began plucking tunes for tourists as a youth. He eventually became one of Latin America's most prominent protest singers in the turbulent 1970s. His most famous song is "I'm Not From Here Nor There" ("No soy de aqui ni alla"), which has been translated into several languages.