Colombian pastor beaten to death after refusing gang's use of his motorcycle
Pastor Jesús Alberto Puerta Pérez was killed in Cartagena when he denied a gang the use of his motorcycle, which they intended for drug transport.
In Cartagena, Colombia, pastor Jesús Alberto Puerta Pérez was violently killed after he turned down a gang's request to use his motorcycle for drug trafficking. Puerta Pérez, who also worked as a motorcycle-taxi driver and belonged to the independent La Antorcha Encendida Church, had previously lent the bike to the same men he evangelized. Sources say the gang intended to link him to a crime before beating him to death on Oct. 7 when he refused.
Authorities have not made any arrests. He leaves a wife, three young children and his wife's elderly parents. Christian Solidarity Worldwide urged Cartagena officials to launch a thorough, transparent probe and restore protections for at-risk religious leaders removed in 2023. The group also delivered a petition with over 1,600 signatures to Colombia’s embassy in London, seeking reinstatement of state security measures for clergy.
Why it matters
The killing highlights growing threats to religious leaders in Colombia and calls attention to gaps in state protection.
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