Colombia removes police chief who said exorcisms were used to catch fugitives

FILE – Colombian Police Chief Gen. Henry Sanabria parades during his swearing-in ceremony in Bogota, Colombia, Aug. 19, 2022. Colombian President Gustavo Petro on April 12, 2023 removed Sanabria as national police director who had talked about using exorcisms to catch fugitives. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File)

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has removed the national police director who had talked about using exorcisms to catch fugitives.

Neither Mr Petro nor the Defence Ministry elaborated on reasons for the dismissal of General Henry Sanabria, a staunch Catholic who was appointed by the president in August last year, but Gen Sanabria was under an internal investigation by the ministry over whether he had inappropriately allowed his religious beliefs to infringe on his duties.