For months, Naín Andrés Pérez Toncel, known by the alias “Bendito Menor,” moved through Colombia’s La Guajira region as if he were untouchable. The 27-year-old carried an official government document, Resolution 091, that shielded him from scrutiny even though he led an armed group linked to violence in the area.
The resolution, issued under President Gustavo Petro’s administration, formally recognized Pérez Toncel as a representative member of the Autodefensas Conquistadores de la Sierra Nevada, a self-styled paramilitary or “self-defense” group. That designation allowed him to take part in a government-sponsored dialogue process aimed at reaching a socio-legal settlement with armed groups, part of Petro’s broader “Total Peace” strategy to negotiate with various armed factions across the country.
His name appears in the document alongside six other men identified by their aliases and legal names, including Orlando Pérez Ortega (“Patiliso”), José Luis Pérez Villanueva (“Cholo”), Loryín Emilio Pertúz Ballestas (“York”), Elmer David Reyes, Jhon Rafael Salazar Salcedo, and Daniel Bravo Arias.
The government recognition effectively gave Pérez Toncel a shield of legitimacy for months, even as he remained a wanted figure. He was eventually killed in a security operation alongside his partner, after intelligence agencies tracked him down—a separate development that has raised fresh questions about how the peace framework was used and by whom.
To see the original resolution and read the full investigation, visit El Tiempo’s website.
Source: Esta es la resolución del gobierno de Gustavo Petro con la que alias Bendito Menor se protegió durante meses (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: Kurz and Allison
Adam Cuerden.