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Colombia's former secret police chief, Maria del Pilar Hurtado, has been given asylum in Panama, outraging Colombian officials.
Pilar Hurtado is wanted regarding illegal wiretapping operations that might implicate former president Alvaro Uribe. She headed the the DAS (Department of Administrative Security) from 2007-2008.
A surprised Supreme Court president Jaime Arrubla, a victim of DAS illegal wiretaps, believes political asylum is meant to "protect those persecuted for their political ideas, not the persecutors".
German Vargas Lleras, Colombia's interior and justice minister announced that six former high-ranking intelligence officials facing investigation for illegal domestic spying are planning to seek political asylum in Panama or already have done so.
LATEST UPDATE, 23 NOV:
Panama's President Ricardo Martinelli rejected all criticism for granting political asylum to Colombia's former intelligence agency employees, claiming it's a "sovereign decision."
He noted that Panama has often granted political asylum to high-level foreign officials before such as Haiti's former dictator Raoul Cedras and former Presidents Abdala Bucaram (of Ecuador), Jorge Serrano Elias (of Guatemala), and Juan Domingo Peron (of Argentina).
FOR STORY, GO TO:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/13019-panama-president-rejects-criticism-on-asylum-das-director.html
