President Alvaro Uribe says he is in favor of eliminating Colombia’s scandal-plagued domestic intelligence agency DAS and transferring its functions to the police.
Washington’s top ally in South America has previously said the DAS could be restructured, but Thursday’s comments were the first time he has publicly backed eliminating the agency.
Uribe said his government is weighing how to reform the agency and that he is “in favor of eliminating the DAS” and having a police institution handle its intelligence and immigration functions. DAS has at least 6,000 employees.
The DAS is caught in a telephone espionage scandal, accused of spying on government critics, judges and journalists. Uribe’s government denies ordering the taps. (AP)