Jan 10, 2008 / 10:48 am
The Colombian government has announced the capture of a key leader of the National Liberation Army (ELN), Carlos Marin Guarin, the man behind the 1989 murder of Bishop Emilio Jaramillo Monsalve of Arauca.
Marin, who at that time was commander of a division of ELN forces, ordered the killing of Bishop Jaramillo Monsalve for his public comments against the actions of the ELN in that region.
The murder sent shockwaves throughout Colombia, not only because he was a bishop, but also because he was tortured first and then killed by ELN soldiers, who kidnapped the bishop while he was making pastoral visits with a group of priests.
General Mario Montoya of the Colombian military announced the Marin was captured in Bogota while participating in meetings to plan further ELN attacks.
Marin is also believed to have been involved in an attack on a military base in Venezuela on February 25, 1995, in the city of Cararabo, in which eight soldiers of the Venezuelan military were killed and another twelve were wounded.
Since 2006 Marin has commanded three of the seven ELN divisions.