Colombian ex-police chief charged in killing (assassination)

[Judi Lynn]

Colombian ex-police chief charged in killing
By LIBARDO CARDONA, Associated Press Libardo Cardona, Associated Press – Thu Nov 25, 12:50 pm ET

BOGOTA, Colombia – Colombian prosecutors issued an arrest warrant Thursday for a 73-year-old former domestic security chief who they say participated in the 1989 assassination of presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galan.

Retired Gen. Miguel Maza Marquez has been charged with aggravated homicide for allegedly allying himself with the drug traffickers whose hired guns killed Galan, said German Gomez, spokesman for Colombia's chief prosecutor.

The DAS domestic security agency that Maza Marquez led provides bodyguards for politicians, human rights activists and others. Prosecutors say the general intentionally lightened Galan's bodyguard contingent to enable the Aug. 18, 1989 assassination.

Galan's 1989 presidential campaign was a crusade against Pablo Escobar and other cocaine lords who terrorized Colombia, killing hundreds of judges, journalists and police in a bid to avoid extradition.

More:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101125/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_colombia_galan_assassination

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Former D.A.S. head, Miguel Maza Marquez.

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Assassinated leftist Presidential candidate, Luis Carlos Galán.
20 years without Luis Carlos Galán
On 2009/08/20, in Conflict, Politics, by Albeiro Rodas ..

Colombia remembered the 20th anniversary of the assassination of presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento. It was August 18 of 1989 when the Andean nation was under the reign of terror by the mafias and paramilitary groups. The henchmen of Pablo Escobar Gaviria, alike the ones of the Cartel of Cali, were ready to eliminate anyone who dared to face their power of drugs, organized crime and corruption of the political, social and administrative stances of the country. Their main concern was the possibility of extradition to American courts if the Colombian State agreed such legal possibility.
Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento was one of those charismatic political figures with a real national project for a country like Colombia. These kind of leaders are not rare in the history of the country. They arise time by time, especially in the darkest moments of Colombia. At the same time, it seems that criminal forces behind a status quo interested in dominate the political and social context of the nation, would not allow the success of projects of unity and development like those of Jorge Eliecer Gaitán – assassinated in 1948 – or Luis Carlos Galán.

Most of these leaders have managed a speech of justice, honesty, fighting the systems of corruption, the social improvement of the most marginalized groups, a constructive dialogue among all sectors of the Colombian society and the strengthening of the national institutions.

That national project – the one that Colombia needs -, has been fought through terror and intimidation by that other project handled by corrupt elements interested in keeping political and economical power at the cost of the destruction of the institutions. Keeping the chaos and the context of war and conflict, is more useful for those sectors supported by huge systems of mafia and corruption.

More:
http://colombiapassport.com/2009/08/20/20-years-without-luis-carlos-galan/