Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos commended police chief General Oscar Naranjo, who became the center of controversy after leaked documents showed he had accused aides of former President Alvaro Uribe of ordering illegal wiretaps.
“You, General Naranjo … and all the members of the police have a great responsibility to continue fighting so that the Colombian people feel that each time it is safer, that each time it is freer, and therefore they can continue to look forward with optimism,” said the president at a ceremony at a police school in Bogota..
Neither Santos nor Naranjo made reference to the recent cables published by WikiLeaks which reveal that Naranjo expressed his suspicions about Uribe aides’ involvement in the illegal wiretapping of government opponents. Santos stated that Naranjo “has always been an advocate for democracy,” reported Caracol Radio.
According to El Espectador, when Naranjo was asked about the leaks he refused to comment.
In the ceremony Naranjo was promoted to four-star general, becoming the first police officer in the country’s history to win that honour, according to EFE. Naranjo dedicated his promotion to the 3,000 police officers who have been killed or taken hostage in the last 12 years.
