Colombia's President Petro releases first declassified DAS files on Jaime Garzón

The Colombian government, through the Archivo General de la Nación (AGN) and the Dirección Nacional de Inteligencia (DNI), is preparing to publish the first batch of declassified documents from the former Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad (DAS). The archive holds 57,425 boxes; the release will involve cleaning, digitisation and anonymisation of sensitive data, with the first lot to be posted on official web portals by early August 2026 and progress reported semi‑annually.

On 31 July 2026, President Gustavo Petro presented the initial anonymised files at the Casa de Nariño. The documents relate to the 1999 murder of journalist and humorist Jaime Garzón and the 1993 killing of union leader Pedro Julio Movilla. Petro said the act fulfills his campaign promise and is meant to promote truth, memory and prevent a repeat of past violence.