Photo provided by the Colombian military of soldiers guarding the streets in Bajo Cauca, Antioquia (Colombia), where there has been a mine strike infiltrated by the Clan del Golfo.
Gustavo Petro has ordered the immediate lifting of the ceasefire with the Clan del Golfo after an attack on the police was registered. “We will not allow them to continue to sow fear and terror in the communities,” wrote the Colombian President on his Twitter account. The government believes this armed group remains involved in the illicit gold and cocaine trade and is behind a violent mining strike in Bajo Cauca, Antioquia, a region in north-eastern Colombia.
The president’s announcement marks the first break with one of the criminal organizations committed to total peace, Petro’s commitment to negotiate with, or simultaneously subdue, all of the country’s armed groups. He envisioned a nation at peace after decades of violence. The President was blunt: “As of now, there is no truce with the Clan del Golfo. The public authorities must take immediate action against the structures of this mafia organization.”
I have ordered the Public Force to reactivate all military operations against the Clan del Golfo. Bilateral recruitment with this group outside of the law is suspended. We will not allow them to continue to sow fear and terror in the communities.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) March 19, 2023
The break had been brewing in the last few days. Petro had already admitted the organization disrespected the ceasefire and infiltrated the mining protest to sow chaos – the Clan del Golfo denied in a statement. Home Secretary Alfonso Prada said rescinding the dismissal was not on the table but that anything could happen now that it had finally happened. The President is fed up with this organization, the legacy of the paramilitaries, which is also in conflict with the ELN guerrillas and the FARC dissidents.
Gulf Clan gun attack on available police force breaks truce.
At this time there is no truce with the Gulf Clan. The public authority must take immediate action against the structures of the mafia organization.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) March 19, 2023
The Gulf clan’s record was not very encouraging. In the meta-area, they have violently applied what they call social cleansing, which in practice means attacking thieves, drug addicts, and women engaged in prostitution. They install a regime of terror in their territories. The Ombudsman’s office has documented that he has murdered people accused of being government informers.
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A few weeks ago he hired some lawyers to establish contacts with the government. He wanted a negotiation like that of the ELN, with a table, some agreements, a dialogue. That should give it a political character that it actually doesn’t have. Petro’s government partners urged him not to deal with drug dealers but to subject them to the law. The nation’s attorney general refused to lift the arrest warrants against representatives of the clan who wanted to speak to authorities. It will no longer be necessary.
The debate ended with the stroke of a pen: no more concessions for the Clan del Golfo. The trigger was a gun attack on the police. In addition, unrest continues at the site of the mine strike. The Antioquia governor has uploaded videos of burning trucks and buses to his Twitter account. “A few minutes ago, at least 4 cargo vehicles and 2 public transport buses were burned on the streets of Bajo Cauca. FULL REJECTION to those who insist on sowing fear in the face of public power’s offensive against the ILLEGAL,” he wrote.
The total peace of Petro hasn’t just begun. One of the four open dialogs was slammed shut. The President’s warning is clear: “I have ordered the Public Force to reactivate all military operations against the Clan del Golfo.” Petro wants peace, but not at any price.
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