Colombia’s National Penitentiary and Prison Institute (Inpec) on Monday submitted a proposal to grant early release from prison to one of the world’s most prolific serial killers known as “La Bestia,” or the beast.

Luis Alfredo Garavito, 64, confessed to killing about 190 children in the 90s, most aged 8 to 16 and received more than 50 sentences. But with just over 20 years in prison under his belt, Inpec asked a judge in May to grant Garavito provisional release because of his “exemplary” behavior in prison, the television news program “Los Informantes” revealed on Sunday.

Garavito was known for sometimes posing as a beggar or a monk and luring poor children with money and soft drinks. He would later slit their throats, sometimes after torturing and raping them, according to the Associated Press.

With this, Inpec’s request has sparked outrage from Colombians and even caught the attention from President Ivan Duque, who is currently attending COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland.

“I have profound indignation at the possibility that anyone would suggest that that beast leave prison," Duque said. “The national government neither sponsors nor supports that.”

Following the backlash, Inpec issued a statement on Monday saying it had acted “in conformance with legal postulates” by sending the documents to the judge.

The AP noted that Colombia limits prison sentences to 40 years and allows early release for good behavior after more than half a sentence is served.

"There are 18 convictions and 26 judicial processes are currently underway as a defendant. Consequently, Luis Alfredo Garavito will continue to be held in the maximum security prison in Valledupar," Major General Mariano Botero, director of Inpec, said on Twitter in response to the controversy.

To many’s relief, a judge denied the request because Garavito has yet to pay a $41,500 fine for his victims.

Garavito was arrested in April 1999 on an attempted rape charge. He eventually confessed to the killing of the almost 200 children after showing a judge and psychologist his tally of the killings that he kept in a personal notebook.

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