The United States government declassified thousands of files about MLK's death.

The administration of President Donald Trump published on Monday an extensive set of documents related to the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., which occurred in April 1968.

The announcement was made by the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who explained that the goal is to provide complete transparency regarding one of the most tragic and significant events in United States history.

In total, 230,000 files have been declassified, including details about the federal investigation into the assassination, which took place at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, where King was shot and killed at the age of 39.

The documents were released in coordination with the Department of Justice, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the FBI and the National Archives.

Sixty years to learn the truth

Among the files brought to light are conversations between the MLK's assassin, James Earl Ray, and a former cellmate, in which they allegedly discussed a possible conspiracy.

Leads that the FBI explored after the crime were disclosed, as well as details about intelligence gathering by the CIA during the international pursuit of Ray, who was captured in London two months after the assassination.

Gabbard stated that this publication responds to the Trump administration's commitment to transparency, highlighting that Americans have waited nearly sixty years to learn the full scope of the federal investigation into Dr. King's assassination.

Doubts persist about MLK's assassination

In January, the White House ordered through a presidential decree the declassification of documents related to the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy and his brother, former Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

The family of Martin Luther King Jr. was notified two weeks in advance about the release of the files. His children, Martin Luther King III and Bernice King, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to review the documents before their public release.

In a statement, those affected described their father's assassination as a "captivating public curiosity for decades", and asked that the files be read with "empathy, restraint, and respect for our family's ongoing grief."

Federal authorities have maintained for decades that James Earl Ray acted alone, although scholars and independent researchers have questioned this version.

The new transparency policy promoted by Trump aims to provide the clarity needed to shed light on these events, something that has been denied to the American public for decades.