The philosopher Manuel Alberto Casanova, President Gustavo Petro’s former comrade in arms in the disbanded M-19 guerrilla, will become Colombia’s new intelligence director.
By a decree of August 18, Casanova was appointed as the “general director of the National Administrative Intelligence Agency (DNI).
The body, created in 2011, will be led for the first time by a civilian who, according to the opposition, has no experience in security and defense intelligence and strategic counterintelligence. Like Petro, Casanova disarmed as part of the peace agreement signed by the M-19 in 1990.
After handing over their weapons, the former guerrilla took over the head of security for Alianza Democrática M-19, the political party that broke out of the peace deal.
The DNI replaced the Department of Administrative Security (DAS), which was dissolved after a scandal of spying on judges, dissidents and human rights defenders under former President Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010).
source: Noticias
