THE CALI cartel kingpin, Mr Jose Santacruz Londono, whose escape from prison was cited by Washington as a reason to decertify Colombia as a partner in the anti drug fight, was reported shot and killed by police on Tuesday.
The national police director, Gen Rosso Jose Serrano, said Santacruz (53), who escaped in January from the La Picota prison in Bogota, was killed in a shoot out with police shortly before midnight on a highway outside Medellin city.
"It's a sort of vindication," said President Ernesto Samper, adding that it helped to offset the "hostile attitude" assumed by the US in decertifying Colombia as a country "fully" co operating in the drug fight. "It allows us to reiterate to the world that we have a serious commitment [to fighting drugs]," he said. Decertification automatically cut off most US aid to Colombia and made it ineligible for most US government backed loans.
"He was never going to let him self be captured," Gen Serrano told Colombian radio. He said police had traced Santacruz to Medellin two weeks ago. Gen Serrano said Santacruz, who had a $2 million price on his head, was travelling in a caravan of cars carrying up to 10 men when his vehicle was stopped on the darkened highway by police. Santacruz died alone, in the front passenger side seat of a black four wheel drive vehicle.
There were conflicting reports ash to whether any of his companions had been arrested.
Gen Serrano emphatically repeated three times at a news conference at the presidential palace early yesterday that the US should reconsider its "decertification" of Colombia in the light of, Santacruz's death. "I think the least I can ask is that Colombia be certified," he said.