Colombia’s chief of police, General Henry Sanabria, said that he and other officers have relied on exorcism and prayer to combat crime and confront the country’s most powerful criminals, including drug‑cartel leader Pablo Escobar. Speaking from his office, which is filled with crucifixes, effigies of the Virgin Mary and other Catholic symbols, Sanabria told local media on Saturday that these religious practices have assisted the police throughout the past 50 years of armed conflict in the South American nation. He cited operations that resulted in the deaths of Escobar in 1993, FARC guerrilla leader Alfonso Cano in 2011, and the guerrilla commander known as “Mono Jojoy” in 2010.
“The existence of the devil is certain. I have seen him. I have felt him,” Sanabria said in an interview with Semana magazine, making the sign of the cross each time he mentioned the devil. He claimed that criminals use witchcraft and recounted an incident in which a police officer killed a suspect by “praying while shooting.” His statements have ignited fierce debate on social media in Colombia, a secular country with strong Catholic traditions.
President Gustavo Petro did not express concern. “We know the beliefs of the general, but we try to make sure that these beliefs do not affect the rules; it is as simple as that,” he said. “I think he has respected them, as far as we know.” Sanabria’s previous remarks have also provoked controversy. He has spoken against abortion, which is legal in Colombia until the 24th week of pregnancy, and criticized the use of condoms, calling them an “abortive method.” In October, he described Halloween as a “satanic” holiday, and a tweet he posted for International Women’s Day on March 8 was accused of sexism: “A woman’s charm makes her husband happy and if she is reasonable, she makes it last. A discreet woman is a gift from the Lord.”
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