Javier Marquez is the executive director of Defensores de la Naturaleza Foundation and has over 25 years of experience in conservation and sustainable development. He has worked extensively with local communities and environmental authorities, and has been part of the Foundation’s team that has achieved the conservation of natural ecosystems, supported the sustainable development of local communities, and contributed to the Sustainable Development Goals in Guatemala. In recent years, his work at the Foundation has focused on forging inter-institutional partnerships to safeguard biodiversity in Guatemala.