Spanish farmer and politician. Benítez was deputy in the Constituent Legislature. His brother was José Benítez de Rufo, captain of the republican army during the Civil War and president of the Regional Committee of PCE in Andalucía, who died in 1979. Manuel was one of the historic members of PCE underground. He also joined Unified Socialist Youth in his home village in 1932, where he worked as a volunteer and was injured several times. In 1937 he joined the Spanish Communist Party, and became his lieutenant a year later. When the Civil War finished, he moved to France, being imprisoned at the concentration camp of Argilé-sur-mer and Gurgs until the German Army occupied it, and Benítez joined the Resistance against the Nazis. Thanks to the Communist Party, he came back to Spain in 1946, and reorganized the party clandestinely, working with the pseudonyms "Justo" and "Cordobés". In 1947 Benítez was arrested and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment. He went to the prisons of Alcalá de Henares and Ocaña until 1956, when he was released and moved to Dos Hermanas (Sevilla), where his family lived. Benítez worked there as haulage contractor and in a fodder factory, continuing clandestinely with the political activity. Benítez was arrested again in 1961, and was sent provisionally to the Province Prison of Badajoz during 15 days. He finally obtained the definitive certificate of freedom in 1963. In 1966 Benítez returned to the political activity, becoming a member of the Province Committee of PCE. Along with some other contacts, he took part in 1968 in bringing PCE and PSOE to form the Democratic Committee of Sevilla, which shortly after united the rest of the anti-Franco forces. Benítez was arrested again on 17th January 1971, and also on 21st April 1971, imprisoned both times at the prison of Sevilla. In the 1977 general elections, he was elected deputy of PCE for Sevilla, joining the Communist Parliamentarian Group. On 2nd January 1979, he resigned his position as deputy to become the Mayor of Dos Hermanas, supported by PSOE. In the 1983 municipal elections, Francisco Toscano was elected as Mayor, so Benítez left the political activity. He died in 2004.