As a result of the shock that occurred in the Police this Friday, with the departure of 21 generals, after the president Gustavo Petro will announce the new leadership of the public forceGeneral Jorge Vargas, outgoing director of the National Police, spoke in the following terms: “All the police officers support his decision.”
The officer also stressed that in his replacement appointed General Henry Sanabria, whom he said is one of the institution’s most distinguished and decorated officers.
“From the moment when Mr. The president ordered that General Sanabria assume the general direction of the National Police, I made contact with him and we began the transition, learning about the news and slogans,” said General Woe
And, he added: “Mr. President, all the Colombian police officers support, support, appreciate your decision, General Sanabria is one of the most awarded and most knowledgeable officers in the National Police“.
In exclusive dialogue with WEEK, The new director of the Police, General Henry Sanabria, spoke about various current issues and confirmed that the Mobile Riot Squad, Esmad, will not be eliminated.
WEEK: How is your job going to be, taking into account that President Petro said that you are going to be a Human Police? What does that mean? What are the guidelines?
Henry Sanabria (H. S.): indisputably, the deputy director has the essential strength of directing inwards, that is, the deputy director has the responsibility of gathering around it the directors and commanders of the different dependencies of the National Police, and that will guarantee that there is permanent communication between it and all the people who are part of the National Police.
WEEK: Could there be a destabilization in the Police with the departure of all these generals?
H. S.: no, let’s say that in the recent history of the Similar situations have occurred in the National Police, the colonels who are currently taking a course for the generalship would compensate in some way for that generalship need. But there are more to come officers in the colonel rank with many capacities, the National Police will continue to be a guarantor and strong in its position of defending the Constitution and the laws.
WEEK: Have they told you what the transition to the Ministry of Security, Peace and Coexistence will be like?
H. S.: the minister and the lord president informed in advance about the creation. I received instructions from the minister to look inside the institution at what that transition will be like, we will have to sit down and look with the government team exactly what the guidelines would be for it.
The Ministry of Defense, to which we have belonged for several years, would continue to have that support for the National Police. The structure The internal structure of the Police, in essence, would not change, currently we depend on the minister, not on the Ministry of Defense, then we will seek integration with the other state agencies that would be part of that ministry.
WEEK: It is said that removing all the major generals could play against the institutions, because the brigadier generals do not have that experience…
H. S.: No, in fact, the National Police in recent history had very few major generals, two or three. Most of you integrated the operational and administrative units were headed by brigadier generals and colonels. The preparation, which has more than 30 years of service, will allow current colonels and brigadier generals to take on the challenges.
the new dome
At a press conference, President Gustavo Petro and Defense Minister Iván Velásquez announced the new military and police leadership, as follows: as Commander of the Military Forces, General Helder Fernán Giraldo Bonilla; chief of staff Joint, Vice Admiral José Joaquín Amézquita García; Commander of the National Army, General Luis Mauricio Ospina Gutiérrez; Commander of the Colombian Air Force (FAC), General Luis Carlos Córdoba Avendaño; Commander of the National Navy, Vice Admiral Francisco Hernando Cubides Pomegranates; Director of the National Police, General Henry Armando Sanabria Cely, and General Deputy Director of the National Police, General Yackeline Navarro Ordóñez.