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President De La Espriella says shooters at Bendito Menor funeral have been identified

From El Tiempo · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella said authorities had identified people seen firing weapons into the air during the funeral procession for armed-group leader Bendito Menor in Riohacha.
  • He ordered the security forces to pursue armed structures operating in La Guajira and warned that those following the dead leader’s example would face the same fate.
  • Hundreds of motorcyclists accompanied the funeral procession to Los Olivos cemetery, where Bendito Menor and another man were due to be buried.

President Abelardo De La Espriella responded forcefully to videos showing armed men firing into the air as the remains of Naín Andrés Pérez Toncel, known as Bendito Menor, arrived in Riohacha.

The footage showed men firing weapons while loud corridos played during the reception of the body. Bendito Menor was identified as the leader of the Javier Cáceres front of the Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada, or ACSN. Police killed him in a special operation in Riohacha, along with his partner, Rosa Angélica Tarazona, known as La Bebecita, and two bodyguards known as El Tío and Casiloco.

Here are the criminals who intend to continue controlling territories and intimidating the people of La Guajira.

· Abelardo De La EspriellaThe president described people shown firing weapons during Bendito Menor's funeral reception.

In a post on X, De La Espriella said the people appearing in the images had already been identified. “Here are the criminals who intend to continue controlling territories and intimidating the people of La Guajira,” he wrote, adding that authorities would remove them from criminal activity.

Whoever intends to follow the example of the criminal who was taken down will end up like him.

· Abelardo De La EspriellaHe warned armed-group members after police killed Bendito Menor.

He also warned that “whoever intends to follow the example of the criminal who was taken down will end up like him.” The president said he would not accept “the culture of illegality becoming normal,” and gave the security forces an order to pursue the armed groups.

Later, he said the era in which wrongdoing was presented as something good had ended and that, under his government, criminals would not have a moment of peace. The remarks came as relatives organized funeral processions in Riohacha. Bendito Menor and Kevin Moscote, known as Casi Loco, were to be mourned separately before their bodies were taken to Los Olivos cemetery, south of the city, along the road to Cuestecitas. Hundreds of motorcyclists joined Bendito Menor’s procession.

The order to all the security forces is: we are going after these terrorists and will give them what they deserve.

· Abelardo De La EspriellaHe announced a security-force response against armed structures in La Guajira.
About this summary

Originally published by El Tiempo in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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