Colombia

Gulf Clan: Colombia Suspends Ceasefire With Drug Cartel

MAR 20 2023·Updated FEB 7 2024

Story

Image credit: France 24

The Facts

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has suspended a ceasefire with the Gulf Clan, the main drug trafficking cartel in the country.
BBC News
In a tweet on Sunday, Petro announced that he was ordering "the security forces to resume all military operations against the Gulf Clan," citing harassment and attacks on people in northwest Columbia that have allegedly been carried out by the group over the last fortnight.
Barrons
Petro's government declared a bilateral ceasefire with several armed groups in December 2022 including the Gulf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels, and dissidents of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas.
France 24
Monday's announcement saw Petro accuse the cartel of breaking the ceasefire last week by supporting attacks by illegal gold miners. An aqueduct, a toll, and an ambulance were all destroyed on Sunday by the miners who Petro claimed were financially supported by the Clan "to cause damage and to pass off this violence as a social strike."
France 24
The leader of the Colombian police force, Henry Sanabria, has announced that more police officers would be sent to the areas of the country where the Gulf Clan is most active.
Firstpost
According to Petro, Columbian authorities will offer "no chance of negotiation” on the ceasefire status until the Gulf Clan stops committing crimes.
Firstpost

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Petro's ceasefire and "total peace" plans to end decades of violence in Columbia were idealistic and ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful. These ideas ran into issues almost immediately and the ceasefire has since been continuously broken by the armed groups who signed it. Petro must use Columbia's security forces to aggressively quash criminal dissenters and violent armed groups like the Gulf Clan.

Barrons

Narrative B

While it is disappointing that the Gulf Clan violated the ceasefire initiated by Petro's government, there is still hope for these peace plans. Negotiations over the truce will not happen while violence and crime continue, but if the Gulf Clan chooses to stop their unlawful actions the talks could resume. The ball is now in their court.