Minute30.com .- After 60 years of mystery and urban legends, the Search Unit for Persons Reported Missing (UBPD) confirmed the discovery of the remains of Camilo Torres Restrepo, the priest who abandoned his habits to hold a rifle in the ranks of the ELN.

The body, which had remained hidden by military order since his death in combat on February 15, 1966 in Patio Cemento (Santander), was located by forensic anthropologists after a two-year search. With this discovery, one of the most emblematic chapters of the insurgency in Colombia closes.

From the cassock to the rifle

Camilo Torres went down in history not only for his ideas, but for being the first great symbol of religious radicalization in the country. His death occurred in his first combat, when he was trying to take the weapon from a wounded soldier, which made him the “official martyr” of the National Liberation Army (ELN).

The guerrilla organization, through a statement published on social networks, confirmed the authenticity of the remains and demanded that they be delivered to be deposited at the National University.

For decades, the location of the grave was kept secret to prevent the guerrilla’s grave from becoming a site of revolutionary worship.

Controversy over state honors

President Gustavo Petro was quick to react to the discovery, elevating the figure of the fallen guerrilla to a level of national honor:

“The body of priest Camilo Torres Restrepo will be respected and deposited with honors… Priest and revolutionary,” the president wrote in his X account.

This announcement is already beginning to generate controversy in various sectors of the country, where it is questioned whether a member of an illegal armed group, responsible for decades of violence, should receive official honors at the country’s main public university.

For analysts, the delivery of the remains of Camilo Torres is a “symbolic trophy” for the ELN. The recovery of his figure reinforces the historical narrative of the guerrilla at a critical moment in the dialogues.

Find details:

Location: Department of Santander.

Technique: High precision forensic anthropology after 24 months of excavations and cross-referencing of historical data.

Final destination: Your transfer to Bogotá is expected under strict security measures and official protocol.

The debate opens: Is it fair that a guerrilla who died attacking the legitimate forces of the State be received with hero honors at the National University?