Contrary to a previous report, Colombia’s former intelligence chief Maria del Pilar Hurtado, wanted for the illegal wiretapping of government opponents, did not help re-elect the current Secretary General of Interpol as the re-election processes took place when the Del Pilar Hurtado was not in office.
In an email to Colombia Reports, Interpol spokesman Pietro Calcaterra pointed out that “Secretary General [Ronald] Noble was unanimously re-elected to his post during INTERPOL’s General Assembly in Berlin in 2005, before Maria Del Pilar Hurtado was appointed to DAS. Mr Noble was subsequently re-elected to a third term during INTERPOL’s General Assembly in Doha in 2010, well after Maria Del Pilar Hurtado had left her position.”
According to Interpol, “the article in Colombia Reports (8 August 2011) entitled “Del Pilar Hurtado helped re-elect Interpol Secretary General” is patently erroneous and it maligns INTERPOL and its Secretary General. Any serious and objective news outlet could have very easily verified that Secretary General Noble was first elected in 2000 and unanimously confirmed in 2005, years before the Secretary General even met the former Head of DAS Maria Del Pilar Hurtado.”
Interpol’s statement is supported by public records that show that Del Pilar Hurtado was not in charge of the DAS during either of Noble’s re-elections.
Colombian news cast Noticias Uno on Sunday reported that Del Pilar did help re-elect Noble and that the same Interpol official signed a refusal to warrant her arrest.
“INTERPOL does not sign international arrest warrants. Its General Secretariat in Lyon, France issues Red Notices for internationally-wanted persons at the request of its member countries, after a legal process to ensure that such requests comply with Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, which prevents the Organization from getting involved in matters political, military or religious,” the spokesman of the international police organization wrote.
Del Pilar Hurtado took office in 2008 and resigned in 2009 when the wiretap scandal became public. She was granted political asylum in Panama late last year, just months before being charged for allegedly ordering the wiretaps.
Interpol has since suspended cooperation with Colombia’s plagued intelligence agency.