A former director of Colombian intelligence agency DAS appeared in court Monday for his alleged involvement in the assassination of liberal leader Luis Carlos Galan Sarmiento.
General Miguel Maza Marquez appeared before a Bogota judge to answer for the crimes of aggravated homicide and attempted murder for terrorist purposes, including the murder of Galan, which occurred on August 18, 1989 in the town of Soacha, Cundinamarca.
According to the prosecution, the former DAS director incurred “serious omissions” in the formation and modification of the liberal candidate’s security, despite his awareness of the serious threats that Galan repeatedly received from drug cartels.
Galan was a presidential hopeful who promised to seriously tackle the increasing power of drug traffickers like Pablo Escobar and his Medellin cartel, whose former members are among the suspects in the liberal candidate’s murder.
Maza Marquez has been in police custody since his arrest in 2009.
