Folk singer Facundo Cabral, 74, killed by unknown gunmen in Guatemala

(CBS/AP) GUATEMALA CITY - One of Latin America's most admired folk singers, Facundo Cabral, was killed Saturday when three carloads of gunmen ambushed the vehicle he was riding in along with his concert promoter, Henry Farinas, who was seriously wounded.

Cabral, 74, was reportedly not the target of the attack. Authorities say the bullets were apparently meant for the promoter, who was driving the car.

Interior Minister Carlos Menocal said at a news conference that the Argentine singer and novelist was on his way to Guatemala's main airport at 5:20 a.m. when cars flanked it on both sides and gunmen opened fire as a third vehicle blocked it from the front.

At the news conference, Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom said the slaying was committed by "people involved in organized crime. They are not street killers. It's a well-planned operation." But officials said they were not sure of the motive.

Cabral, who rose to fame in the early 1970s, was one of a generation of singers who mixed political protest with literary lyrics and created deep bonds with an audience struggling through an era of revolution and repression across Latin America.

The 74-year-old lived mostly on the road, in hotels and with friends, telling interviewers that he owned no home. He was particularly proud that UNESCO declared him to be an "international messenger of peace" in 1996. By the end, he often used a cane and had trouble with his vision, but refused to slow down.

"I can't stop, I wouldn't be able to," he said. "I breathe on the road ... on stage I'm 50 years younger, it pleases me to excite people with life."

Cabral gave his last concert Thursday in the city of Quetzaltenango, 120 miles west of Guatemala City.

Guatemala's 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Rigoberta Menchu, went to the scene of the killing and wept. "For me, Facundo Cabral is a master," she said. "He loved Guatemala greatly." Other Guatemalans also came to the site, leaving flowers.