Atilio Benítez

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Benítez and the second or maternal family name is Parada.

José Atilio Benítez Parada (born 21 June 1958) is a Salvadoran former military officer and diplomat who served as Minister of National Defense from 2011 to 2013. He also commanded the Cuscatlán Battalion during the Iraq War from 2007 to 2008.

Divisional General Atilio Benítez
Benítez in 2012
Minister of National Defense of El Salvador
In office 23 November 2011 – 12 July 2013
President	Mauricio Funes
Preceded by	David Munguía Payés
Succeeded by	David Munguía Payés
Ambassador of El Salvador to Germany
In office 24 April 2015 – ?
President	Salvador Sánchez Cerén
Preceded by	Leandro Uzquiano Arriaza
Succeeded by	?
Ambassador of El Salvador to Spain
In office 5 May 2014 – March 2015
President	Mauricio Funes Salvador Sánchez Cerén
Preceded by	Edgardo Suárez Mallagray
Succeeded by	Jorge Alberto Palencia Mena[1]
Personal details
Born	José Atilio Benítez Parada (1958-06-21) 21 June 1958 (age 67) San Miguel, El Salvador
Spouse	Emma Isaura Muños
Occupation	Military officer, diplomat
Military service
Allegiance	El Salvador
Branch/service	Salvadoran Army
Rank	Divisional general
Commands	Cuscatlán Battalion IX
Battles/wars	Iraq War

Biography

In 1992 he was military attaché in Madrid, Bonn, Paris and London.^{[citation needed]}

Benítez was the commander of the Cuscatlán Battalion IX, a contingent of Salvadoran soldiers deployed to Iraq during the Iraq War, from August 2007 to February 2008.^[2]

In 2009 he was Inspector of the Armed Forces of El Salvador.^{[citation needed]}

On 1 June 2009, Mauricio Funes named Divisional General David Munguía Payés as Minister of National Defense and Benítez as Vice Minister of National Defense.^{[citation needed]}

From 23 November 2011 to 12 July 2013, Benítez was Minister of National Defense in the cabinet of Mauricio Funes.^{[citation needed]}

From 5 May 2014 to March 2015 he was ambassador in Madrid.^{[citation needed]}

From 24 April 2015, he has served as ambassador in Berlin with accreditation in Warsaw, Prague and Ankara.^[3][4]

Personal life

Benítez is married to Emma Isaura Muños.^[5]

Legal troubles

In 2014, the Office of the Attorney General (FGR) opened an investigation into Benítez for alleged weapons trafficking. During a July 2025 trial, Benítez admitted to legalizing his possession of 21 firearms in 2011 using an expire legislative decree as a part of a plea deal. On 9 July 2025, the Fourth Sentencing Court of San Salvador convicted Benítez of arbitrary acts and weapons trafficking while acquitting him of fraud and embezzlement charges. The court sentenced him to three years imprisonment but commuted the sentence to community service.^[6][7]

In 2023, Benítez was ordered by a court in Santa Tecla to return US$121,000 to the Salvadoran government after determining that he and his wife were unable to justify how they accumulated US$88,000 from 2009 to 2011.^[5]

See also

• Cabinet of Salvador Sánchez Cerén