Santos told the magazine that “a source that never failed us” told Colombian intelligence that Manuel Marandula, whose real name is Pedro Antonio Marin, died of a heart attack during or after a bombing of the area where the government assumed he was.
“The information we have is that he is dead. We are not sure of the circumstances, but he is dead,” a top government source who asked not to be identified told press agency Reuters.
According to the Minister ‘Tirofijo’ is most likely to be replaced by “Alfonso Cano.”
Colombian President Álvaro Uribe has not confirmed the death of the Marandula. The FARC has also not responded to Santos’ claim, says press agency Anncol, that usually distributes press statements by the FARC secretariat. Colombia’s Interior Minister told El Tiempo the Government is “trying to have it confirmed”.
Marin, born in 1930, was one of the founders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia in 1964 and has been the highest in command ever since. His death was reported a number of times before.
