Colombia had 264 fewer violent deaths last year than in 2021. General Henry Sanabriawho took office as director of the Police on August 2, a few days before the arrival of Gustavo Petro to the presidency, does not seem to be oblivious to this small although valued reduction in murders, which altogether went from 14,160 to 13,896, according to the Ministry of Defense. But Sanabria finds itself in the eye of an unusual storm since, straddling its nineteenth-century Catholicism, has vindicated the practice of exorcism in the security force, and has criticized the use of condom And till the nights of Halloween. It wasn’t an anti-imperialist turn, but an outburst closer to the Harry Potter stories. Sanabria considers these festivities of North American origin a satanic strategy who, behind the costumes and the confetti, lead the children along the path of the occultism.
It all started a few days ago, when Sanabria assured the magazine Week to have “seen” and “perceived” the diablo. Hence, she said, the importance of having a practice in the police to neutralize evil forces such as exorcism. “We have done it, of course, with the accompaniment of the military bishopric.” The general spoke of the “demonic infestation” which can affect people. “They get scratches at night and bruises. They don’t hurt. They have dreamed of it and the next day they wake up with it.”
Shield Against Taunts
Somehow, Sanabria intuits that his personal combat against Luciferian expressions is often the object of ridicule. He believes that removing Beelzebub is a more important task than listening to the disqualifications. His religiousness is stronger than sarcasm. In fact, he claims to enjoy the attacks. “More people feel like reading the Bible and it sanctifies me.”.
The police chief never wanted to be a priest but to wear the uniform that adorns the institution’s most important rank. When they criticize him for his crucifixes and his inclination to cross himself, Sanabria recalls that article 19 of the Constitution is exhaustive: “We are all free to profess our faith freely.”
public unrest
Sanabria’s expressions have caused a stir on social networks, especially for having considered that the condom was a abortive method, “especially for those married in the Church”. When he expressed his concern about the existence of 12,000 police officers with HIV and the presence of people belonging to the LGTBI community on the force, they described him as homophobic. “With so many challenges to face crime and improve security in cities and departments, and the director of the Colombian Police dedicated to giving his personal assessments, also biased, discriminatory and lacking in scientific rigor”, has complained the mayoress of Bogotá, Claudia López Hernández. “President Petro and his Defense Minister are in arrears in calling the police commander to order. It is one thing to be a believer (I am) and quite another to pretend that with exorcisms one can face crime,” said the historian. Juan Carlos Florez.
Government response
Defense Minister Iván Velásquez has intervened in the public controversy. “There are situations in which it is preferable that State servants do not express themselves in such an extroverted way.; A State official must be very restrained because his statements can affect more complex situations,” he recommended.
Petro has encountered controversy upon his return from Santo Domingo, where the XXVIII Ibero-American Summit took place. He has had to perform the task of a tightrope walker to talk about Sanabria. “The Police at this time have made progress in drug interdiction. They have played a very important role in the peaceful resolution of conflicts like in Bajo Cauca, like in Caquetá, without what we saw before of human rights violations. I have not seen the presence of a belief that has been mixed with the decisions that have been made”.
The president, committed to the utopian task of “total peace” in Colombia, has claimed to be aware of the general’s “beliefs.” “What we try is that they do not affect the rules, it’s that simple“. According to Petro, Sanabria “has been respectful, as far as we know.” His left-wing government has not received any complaints, “but we are going to talk to him personally” because “one thing is a personal attitude” towards religion and it is quite another “when in the exercise of public office” that faith “puts itself above the norm”.
After the presidential intervention, Sanabria has allowed himself to be photographed in a contemplative attitude in front of a priest. The image is accompanied by a quote from Psalm 32,3,5: “As long as I did not confess my sin, my body was decaying because of my moaning all day long. But I unreservedly confessed to you my sin and my wickedness; I decided to confess my sins to you, and you, Lord, forgave them, “he makes known through his Twitter account. The general is determined to continue his holy war.