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Colombia president suspends ceasefire with country’s largest criminal organization – JURIST

Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced Sunday that he suspended a ceasefire with the Clan del Golfo, Colombia’s largest drug trafficking cartel. Petro’s decision was triggered by allegations of rifle attacks by the organization against police forces.The Colombian government unveiled a bilateral ceasefire with the organization on December 31, 2022. However, the government already had concerns about the longevity of the ceasefire before the alleged attacks on police.In the days preceding the suspension, Petro spoke in a radio interview about the need to examine the ceasefire in light of the Clan del Golfo’s recent activity. Specifically, the group was accused of burning vehicles and destroying buildings, allegedly in connection with ongoing mining strikes in the Antioquia and Córdoba departments. Petro regarded these actions as breaking the ceasefire and said that peace process negotiations could not continue in such circumstances.In a tweet Sunday, Petro stated that “We will not allow [Clan del Golfo] to continue sowing anxiety and terror in the communities.” To that end, Petro ordered military forces and the National Police to carry out “offensive operations” against the Clan del Golfo. Minister of National Defense, Iván Velásquez noted that there are currently over 10,000 troops and police officers in the region and that numbers may be increased if necessary. Velasquez also urged vehicles passing through conflict zones to link up with scheduled caravans that have the protection of security forces.The Clan del Golfo is the most dominant criminal force in Colombia with a long history of invoking violence and terror in the region. The ceasefire suspension means that all military operations against the organization will be reactivated.