EL SALVADOR: Death of research analyst Leonel Gomez
From Mi Gente Informa
November 26, 2009
The analyst and researcher with the United States Congress, the Salvadoran Leonel Gomez, died yesterday afternoon. The medical report reveals that investigator died of heart failure and complications at a hospital in the capital.
Gomez directly participated in the special investigation for the murder of trade unionist Gilberto Soto, which occurred on 5 November 2004, in Usulutan. His inquiries were used for the company for which they worked Soto and a group of U.S. congressmen asked to reopen a new process to determine the "true" causes the death of Soto which had been ruled that he was killed by the payment of a insurance for one of his ex-wives, but was from other causes. Even in his last interview this afternoon he said that the crime of Soto could be related to the operation of the band called the "Perrones" operating in the east of the country.
The Supreme Court (CSJ) viewed favorably the decision to reopen the case, after a direct request from the President of the Republic, Mauricio Funes. Since the murder of union leader, the researcher and analyst had been very closely involved and waiting for new avenues of investigation.
Gomez said that last interview this evening that reopening the case Soto delivered a clear message "that because of a botched investigation, the investigation was a joke" as to what really happened that afternoon of 5 November, in front of the home of a family of Soto where he stayed in Usulutan.
Gomez also was an observer in case of the rape and murder of the girl Katya Miranda, occurred on 4 April 1999.
In other interviews this evening Gomez, who was also part of the investigators of the Democrat U.S. sector, revealed that behind the case, so far unresolved, there may be an undercurrent of narcotic drugs specifically linked to Godofredo Miranda, the uncle of Katya Miranda.
"In the case of Katya, persons who covered that case, have to do an investigations of drugs, or had to see, all that the information that influenced their decision, because as the press here indicated that the doctor who did the autopsy told them that Katya was killed by immersion, when he had found sand in the trachea and mouth. Someone told him to say no, she was drowned. To give those Orders meant it came from a position of real power, "he said at the time.
At the time also spoke of the situation of organized crime in the country and operability. "Organized crime here is not the owner of the cocaine." Someone here inside of what we call organized crime, would be made up of several groups, small and big. There are some that handle local narco-traffic, but here we are talking about small cocaine. Large trafficking of cocaine, or the 565 tons of cocaine mentions the DEA, is the cocaine passing through El Salvador that is connected to large organized crime.
But cocaine is not theirs, when it is here in El Salvador it is on consignment, payment is made to download the coca, save it for some time and then transfer it to "containers" 'and that, more or less, has been the business of coca .
Organized Crime here in El Salvador has another great role, which is where the real profit is located. It is money laundering which is done, more or less, by the same groups, only the money laundering, within these groups, is managed by different people that gives security to coca, or to the unloading and loading Gomez revealed in that interview.
Gomez, also investigated the case of the Jesuits, and was hired by Congressman Joe Moakley. Gomez was convinced that even former President Alfredo Cristiani had responsibility for multiple murders.
Another high-profile cases that he investigated here in El Salvador was that of Monsignor Romero. While in Guatemala, he also investigated the murder of Bishop Juan Gerardi, a Guatemalan bishop, who was a member of the Truth Commission of that country, murdered on 26 April 1998.
The funeral plans for the investigator and analyst Leonel Gomez, will take place at the Memorial Chapel tomorrow at Miramonte colony in this capital, according to friends.
Gomez, a Salvadoran, who worked with the United States Congress, died of heart failure and complications, on Wednesday afternoon, according to the report of the private medical care center.
Arrangements are awaiting the arrival of relatives living in the United States.
The investigator was directly involved in the investigative processes of murdered unionist Gilberto Soto, which occurred on 5 November 2004.
The sudden death has caused a stir in those who knew him through his work.
His inquiries were used for the company for which Soto worked and a group of U.S. congressmen requested the reopening of the case to determine the "true" causes the death of Soto that had ruled he was killed for the payment of insurance to a former wife, but actually was for other reasons. Even in his last interview this afternoon he said that the crime of Soto could be related to the operation of the band called the "Perrones" operating in the east.
Gomez also was an observer in the investigation in case of rape and murder of the girl Katya Miranda, occurred on 4 April 1999. Gomez, who was part of the investigators of a Democrat in the U.S. sector, revealed that behind the case, so far unresolved, there may be an undercurrent of drugs specifically linked to Godfrey Miranda, uncle of the girl Katya Miranda. He also was known to have helped with the information in the investigation of the murder of Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero.
On the morning of Sunday, November 12th people began to realize what had happened and the media began to report of the tragedy that occurred in the country, particularly in the town of Verapaz. Below is a table reflecting the impact on the towns served by ASAPROSAR and the actions developed.
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