Colombia's Petro fires police chief who claims he used exorcisms to catch fugitives
Fox News
Leftist Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday removed Gen. Henry Sanabria, the nation's police director, for allegedly letting his Catholic beliefs interfere with his work.
Sanabria had unleashed a debate about the impact of his faith on the police after his statements in an interview last month including that police had used exorcisms to catch drug kingpins and guerrilla leaders. He also issued a strong condemnation of abortion, which is legal in Colombia.
Although Colombia is a predominantly Catholic country of conservative and religious traditions, it is a secular state under its constitution. Petro, who was sworn in as the country’s first-ever leftist president last August, said that Sanabria would never be persecuted over his religion, but that there must be separation between religious beliefs and the state.