Nearly 32 years after he was assassinated at a political event in Soacha, the investigation into the massacre of former presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán, which took place in August 1989, continues to have new movements.
this week it was learned that he was linked to the criminal proceedings of the Prosecutor’s Office and called for investigation by General (r) Carlos Enrique Rodríguez González, who at the time was summoned as a witness to explain how the operation that ended with the capture of several people who were initially reported to have participated in the events, but was later found to have nothing to do .
But the link between General (r) Rodríguez González is not the only new evidence that the Public Prosecutor’s Office is analyzing in the case.
(Also read: Prosecutors file a lawsuit against another general for the murder of Galán)
The prosecution also called for an inquiry to the major José Fernando Reis Calvache Reis, who was the head of the SIJIN of the Police in Cundinamarca by the time of the murder of Galán.
Calvache is credited with co-authoring a concert for crime and homicide for terrorist purposes against the former presidential candidate. the escort Santiago Cuervo, the councilor Julio César Peñaloza Sánchez, and the attempted murder of the escort Pedro Nel Angulo.
Although the major had been closed an investigation in 2017, in August 2020 the Prosecutor’s Office revoked this decision and re-investigated it and now he was called to this inquiry, which was summoned for March 19 of that year at 9 a. m.
(We recommend: For Galán’s crime, they order the reopening of an investigation against officers)
On the other hand, it was also requested to expand the free version of Colonel (r) Hernando Arciniegas Sánchez, who was for the time the head of the narcotics section of the Dijin. At first the Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation but in 2017 it was considered that there was no reason to continue investigating to participate in the operations that led to the capture and imprisonment of 5 innocent people which sought to divert research.
In 2020, the second-instance prosecutor said that although in the first instance it was said that the colonel incurred the facts noted under duress and driven by an insurmountable fear of being made out of the Police, it was not argued how this conclusion was reached or what evidence was assessed to make this claim, so it overturned the decision that had closed the investigation against him.
Therefore, the Prosecutor’s Office summoned him for February 16 and 17, 2021, at 9 am, to expand his free version.
It was also ordered to extend the statement of Colonel Norberto Peláez Restrepo, who at the time of the events was deputy director of the Dijin and who has also been noted for participating in the capture of the innocent to divert the process. This statement will be on February 18.
In addition, the prosecuting body ordered that it be established through investigative work who served as secretary of the Dijin Narcotics Section for August 1989.
(You may be interested in: Tough remarks from the Public Prosecutor’s Office to two generals for Galán’s crime)
On the other hand, the Prosecutor’s Office also ordered the extension of the statement of Norberto Murillo Chalarca and Pedro Telmo Zambrano Delgado, both of whom were part of the group of 5 innocent people who were once arrested for the facts.
Murillo and Zambrano were imprisoned for 3 years on charges of involvement in Galán’s crime until in 1992 the Prosecutor’s Office ordered his release.
Former senator and former minister Alberto Santofimio Botero, the only politician tried and convicted in this case, was sentenced in 2007 to 24 years in prison for the murder of Luis Carlos Galán.
In March 2020 Santofimio was released on parole, after having paid most of his sentence in prison.
Other Justice notes that may be of interest:
– Case of Álvaro Gómez: there is already a date for ‘Timochenko’ to speak in JEP
– In the judgment, Court says use of the masculine generic includes women
– The three hypotheses that have emerged about the death of Ana María Castro
JUSTICE
On Twitter: @JusticiaET
[email protected]