A Paramilitary Leader Describes His Dealings With the Petro Government
COLOMBIA · SECURITY
Key Facts
- —The interview Alias Pinocho, head of the Autodefensas Conquistadores de la Sierra Nevada, spoke to Semana at a clandestine mountain location.
- —His claim That he was released from a Spanish prison on Petro’s orders to act as a peace envoy.
- —His verdict on it That the process was more talk than anything, and that he obtained no benefit.
- —On Bendito Menor Naín Pérez Toncel, described by Pinocho as uncontrollable and reckless.
- —The Bebecita deal A deal sought to resolve her legal situation. It never materialised.
- —The context The government has given him a week to surrender unconditionally.
A fugitive gives an interview a week before a surrender deadline. What he says about the last government is not disinterested, and it is not nothing.
Alias Pinocho, the leader of the Autodefensas Conquistadores de la Sierra Nevada, has given an interview to Semana describing contacts with the Petro government, days after the current administration gave him one week to surrender unconditionally.
Who Is Speaking
Fredy Castillo Carrillo, known as Pinocho, heads the Autodefensas Conquistadores de la Sierra Nevada, an armed group operating in the Caribbean foothills of northern Colombia. He is a fugitive and claims to be a state informant.
The interview was conducted in person at a clandestine location in the mountains by the journalist Salud Hernández-Mora and published by Semana on 13 September 2026.
What He Says About the Previous Government
Pinocho says he was released from a maximum-security prison in Spain on President Gustavo Petro’s orders to serve as a gestor de paz, a peace envoy, and that extradition and capture orders against him were suspended.
His own assessment of the process is dismissive. He describes it as más un blablablá que otra cosa, more talk than anything else, and says he really obtained no benefit from it.
That framing serves him. A man facing an ultimatum has an interest in presenting himself as someone who cooperated and received nothing, and the account should be read with that in mind.
Bendito Menor and La Bebecita
Naín Pérez Toncel, known as Bendito Menor, is described by Pinocho as uncontrollable, absent from meetings despite a suspended capture order, and reckless on social media with displays of weapons and threats.
Rosa Angélica Tarazona, known as La Bebecita, was his partner; she was 19 when captured in September 2025. The deal Pinocho describes was Bendito Menor’s attempt to resolve her legal situation, which he says possibly could have been reached. It never was.
Both were killed in a security-force operation in Riohacha, La Guajira, in the early hours of Friday 4 September 2026, along with two members of his security detail.
Where the Government Stands
On 12 September President Abelardo De la Espriella gave Pinocho one week to surrender, instructing the defence and justice ministers to coordinate it and stating that there are no negotiations, delays or demands, and that if he does not surrender the order is to neutralise him.
Justice Minister Iván Cancino said there would be no shortcuts, privileges or agreements outside the constitution and the law. Defence Minister Jorge Mora said on 13 September that the security forces would act decisively.
Pinocho had asked for guarantees first, saying he would accept five years’ imprisonment with legal protections. The gap is between conditional submission and unconditional surrender, and neither side has moved.
What Is and Is Not Corroborated
The government’s position is well documented across Colombian outlets. The claims about contacts with the Petro government are Pinocho’s own and are not independently verified.
One element points the same way: El Tiempo has separately documented a Petro-government resolution that shielded Bendito Menor for months, which is consistent with what Pinocho describes even though it does not confirm his account of his own case.
The Rio Times reports the interview as Semana’s, attributes the claims to the man making them, and does not present them as established.
More: Colombia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Pinocho?
Fredy Castillo Carrillo, leader of the Autodefensas Conquistadores de la Sierra Nevada. He is a fugitive.
What does he claim?
That he was released from a Spanish prison on Petro’s orders to act as a peace envoy, and that he obtained no benefit from the process.
Who were Bendito Menor and La Bebecita?
Naín Pérez Toncel and Rosa Angélica Tarazona, killed in a security operation in Riohacha on 4 September 2026.
What deal is he describing?
An attempt by Bendito Menor to resolve La Bebecita’s legal situation. It never materialised.
What has the government said?
It has given him one week to surrender unconditionally and says it will neutralise him if he does not.
Sources: Semana, El Tiempo, Infobae Colombia.
This article was drafted with automated assistance and reviewed before publication. How we use AI · Report an error
In depth
Read More from The Rio Times