An hour of interview in a national media was enough for General Henry Sanabria, director of the National Police, to get involved in a new controversy and open a national debate on the limits of religious freedom and his controversial positions on women, the sexual diversity and even exorcisms.
In a dialogue with Semana Magazine, the general revealed his most Catholic side: one who understands abortion and condom use as a mortal sin and who talks about the fact that the police “pray while they shoot” so that the bullets enter the bodies of the illegals who, according to him, are protected by witchcraft.
Despite the fact that his positions are not new, since last International Women’s Day he insinuated that they should be submissive to their husbands, this is the first time that the general has been questioned in depth about his religious convictions and his way of seeing the world. .
That is how the man in charge of leading the National Police declared things like that “a woman, next to the man, is silent when she must be silent and speaks when she has to speak” or that she would like it if she could expel the subordinates who they are unfaithful to their partners because “he who fails in a little fails in a lot”.
And it was not the only thing. Sanabria also told how he and his superiors use the practice of exorcisms to “attack the evil” that is in the guerrilla leaders, drug traffickers and even members of the front line. He said he had seen the devil and had stopped “spirits of evil” which, according to him, have come camouflaged as some officials who come to his office.
“Before going out on those operations, their weapons are blessed and they are told: ”Shoot, but pray,'” the general assured.
Regarding the LGTBI community, Sanabria moderated his position and said that they had to be respected and protected, and that God “loves everyone in the same way”, but made comments that some described as “orthodox” and “serophobic”, which is how He knows the phobia towards people with HIV.
On this subject, the director of the Police said that, only in his institution, there could be more than 10,000 people who carry the virus.
“More or less than 100% of cases of all forces, 47% are from the Police. According to what they wanted to say, we are talking about approximately 12,000 police officers,” said the general.
But, even with these alarming figures, Sanabria said that he did not agree with the use of condoms because it is “an abortion method” and that, in that same sense, women who abort are also in mortal sin and are unhappy. despite the fact that “10 years go by and they confess as many times as possible”.
On all this, President Gustavo Petro said from the Dominican Republic that he respects freedom of religion and that the Government should not discriminate against anyone because of their beliefs, but that Sanabria should also separate religion from his functions as the highest police chief.
Two scandals in one week
His controversial statements come just 48 hours after the Minister of the Interior, Alfonso Prada, publicly contradicted him for his versions of the kidnapping of 78 police officers in San Vicente del Caguan, Caquetá.
While Sanabria said that the peasant guard had Prada “almost kidnapped” and that there was an exchange in which they handed over the high-ranking official in exchange for the uniformed officers, Prada came out to say that all this was an “opinion” of the general and that It was only a political action that ended with the release of the more than 70 policemen.
In the interview this Saturday, Sanabria maintained his position and assured that there was a real risk that the community of Los Pozos kidnapped Prada and other ministers.
