2024-08-13 20:31:04
Today, August 13, Colombia remembers Jaime Garzón on the 25th anniversary of his death.
Jaime Garzón, a lawyer, comedian, journalist and activist whose death 25 years ago left a deep scar on Colombian society, continues to be remembered throughout the country. On Tuesday, President Gustavo Petro remembered with regret Jaime, a man who with his sharp humor and biting wit criticism exposed the realities of the country.
“Jaime Garzón was my friend. In his name I held the first DAS debate, which uncovered the masterminds behind his crime. “He was murdered 25 years ago, extinguishing his humor that made the popular classes reflect on the realities of the country. In Colombia, violence cannot continue to be used to silence differences,” Petro said on his account on the social network X, recalling the figure of Garzón not only as a comedian, but as a voice that, through laughter, made a country immersed in violence question and reflect.
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On August 13, 1999, Bogotá woke up to the tragic news of Garzón’s murder. While he was on his way to work at Radionet, two hitmen on a motorcycle intercepted him in the middle of the street and shot him five times, causing his vehicle to crash into a streetlight pole. Garzón, 38, died instantly. This barbaric act not only took the life of a man who had dedicated his career to criticizing and exposing injustices, but also silenced one of the most influential voices in the defense of human rights and freedom of expression in Colombia.
Subsequent investigations revealed that the perpetrators of the murder were two paramilitaries under the orders of Carlos Castaño, then leader of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). However, the plot behind Garzón’s murder was darker and deeper than initially suspected. In 2016, José Miguel Narváez, former deputy director of the defunct Administrative Security Department (DAS), was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in instigating the comedian’s murder. Narváez, according to investigations, had directly influenced Castaño Gil, convincing him that Garzón was a danger to his interests, which sealed the journalist’s fate.
Furthermore, the Prosecutor’s Office determined that the Medellín criminal group ‘La Terraza’, led by alias Don Berna, had carried out the murder in collaboration with some corrupt state officials, including the former director of the DAS. This network of complicity between criminals and state agents reflected the dangerous link between power and crime in Colombia at the end of the 20th century.
Gustavo Petro has used this anniversary to call for reflection. “In Colombia, violence cannot continue to be used to silence differences.”
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