The Officer Who Captured Guzmán

Unknown until now — this is the first time his photograph has been published — Colonel Benedicto Jiménez Baca was the architect of the capture of Abimael Guzmán, as head of the Special Intelligence Group of Dincote. A native of Pisco with a Greek mother, Gold Medal recipient — equivalent to the Sword of Honor — of his graduating class from the former Policía de Investigaciones del Perú (PIP), Jiménez was the only police officer admitted to the demanding Army Commandos School, where he successfully completed the course. From 1981, barely after the subversive outbreak began, Jiménez worked at Dinpa, the predecessor of Dincote. Over the course of those years, he had to confront not only terrorists but also the negligence, apathy, and infighting that were corroding the institutions responsible for combating subversion. Despite all this, he was able to drive the organization of GEIN, the group that would ultimately achieve the greatest victory in the anti-subversive struggle. Published September 12, 1996.