The director of Colombia’s prison authority and the director of Bogota’s largest prison for women were sacked on Wednesday after the mouth-dropping prison break of a congresswoman.
The escape of former Senator-elect Aida Merlano while she was getting her teeth whitened stunned the country that has grown used to corruption and embarrassed authorities.
Así se fugó la ex congresista Aida Merlano durante la cita de “diseño de sonrisa” que autorizó el @INPEC_Colombia pic.twitter.com/jKirYglWzR
— Revelados (@ReveladosCol) October 2, 2019
The Buen Pastor prison proved unable to keep the corrupt politician incarcerated for more than two weeks after she was sentenced to 15 years of prison for election fraud.
Margarita Cabello, the second Justice Minister of President Ivan Duque, immediately demanded the resignation of the director of prison authority INPEC, General William Ruiz, and of prison director Diana Muñoz and her assistant director.
The minister also asked the Prosecutor General’s Office to investigate the possible involvement of prison officials in the escape.
“The Ministry will take the necessary steps to ensure that, through INPEC, adequate compliance with the security protocols applicable to persons deprived of their liberty is reviewed,” Cabello said.
Merlano somehow was allowed to leave prison for luxury treatment at a medical facility where a bright-red rope allowed her to escape her guards from the third floor.
Ahead of the minister, the Inspector General announced disciplinary investigations of people possibly involved in the highest-profile prison break in more than a decade.
Inspector General Fernando Carrillo urged police to embark on a hunt for the Conservative Party politician who was virtually unknown until she became the first ever politician to be arrested on election fraud charges last year.
“This convicted woman has made an unacceptable mockery of Colombian society, the justice system and the legal system,” said Carrillo redundantly.
“Neither the Government nor I, as Minister of Justice, will allow this type of situation to recur,” the Inspector General added.
While authorities were running around like headless chickens over their latest blunder, Colombians did what they do best; turn a national embarrassment into top-quality mockery.
