The director of the National Police, Henry Sanabria, acknowledged this Saturday that he and other members of the institution have carried out exorcisms and other religious practices in their fight against crime and the persecution of bosses such as Pablo Escobar and high-ranking guerrillas.
From his office surrounded by crucifixes, virgins and other Catholic symbols, General Sanabria assured that prayer and exorcisms have helped the police to face more than half a century of armed conflict.
The maximum head of the institution used as an example the operations in which the cocaine baron, Pablo Escobar (1993) was killed; the top leader of the FARC guerrilla, Alfonso Cano (2011) and his military chief known as “Mono Jojoy” (2010), among others.
“The existence of the devil is certain. I have seen it, I have perceived it,” Sanabria said in an interview with Semana magazine in a conversation in which every time he used words alluding to the devil he crossed himself.
His statements full of biblical verses set fire to social networks, in a secular country with a Catholic tradition.
The general assured that criminals use “witchcraft” and recounted anecdotes in which a uniformed officer “shot while praying and killed” one of them.
According to his account, during the massive protests against the government of Iván Duque, 34 demonstrators passed threateningly in front of him and a handful of police officers.
“I took out my crucifix and placed it on top (…) They pick up everything and leave. The policemen looked at me. They did not dare to ask me what had happened,” he commented.
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, reacted from Santo Domingo where he is participating in the Ibero-American Summit.
“We know about the general’s beliefs, but what we try is that those beliefs do not affect the rules, simple as that. I think he has been respectful, as far as we know”commented the first leftist president in the history of the country.
Sanabria also said he was against abortion, which is legal in Colombia until the 24th week, and the use of condoms “because it is an abortion method.”
Other of his statements have caused controversy: in October he assured that Halloween is a “satanic” party and on March 8, Women’s Day, he published a tweet that was described as macho.
“The charm of a woman makes her husband happy, and if she is sensible, she makes him prosper. A discreet woman is a gift from the Lord”, held.