President Gustavo Petro on Sunday announced the suspension of a ceasefire with Colombia’s largest drug trafficking organisation, citing their alleged attacks on civilians.
Stating on Twitter, he said, “I ordered the security forces to resume all military operations against the Gulf Clan.
“I will not allow them to keep sowing distress and terror in the communities.”
According to Agence France-Presse, the government says the clan has been responsible for incidents of harassment and assaults on individuals in the northwestern region of Colombia during the past 14 days.
Prior to the start of the new year, it was reported that the government led by Petro had announced a mutual ceasefire with various armed groups, such as the Gulf Clan, dissidents from the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia guerrillas, and National Liberation Army rebels.
Leftist leader Petro’s “total peace” initiative aimed to put an end to decades of armed conflict by engaging in negotiations with criminal organisations, in contrast to the hard-line tactics favoured by his conservative predecessor, Ivan Duque. However, the policy encountered issues almost immediately.
The Marxist ELN group, denied being a party to the agreement, while the government alleges that dissident factions of FARC have repeatedly violated it.
The government claims that the Gulf Clan has been backing assaults carried out by illegal miners in the Bajo Cauca region of the Antioquia department since March 2.
Unlicensed miners have been protesting the government’s dismantling of the heavy machinery that they use to excavate soil and extract gold.
Miners have blocked roads and vandalised public buildings, such as a town hall and a bank in the Caucasia district.
Authorities have stated that criminal organizations in Colombia earn almost as much income from illegal mining activities as they do from drug trafficking.
Official estimates suggest that the Clan is responsible for exporting 30% to 60% of the drugs from Colombia, which is the world’s top producer of cocaine.
Opposing political groups and some specialists contend that the security forces were at a disadvantage in the ceasefire with the Gulf Clan and the rebels, stating that only the government forces upheld the ceasefire.
Right-wing former presidential candidate, Federico Gutierrez, said, “There was never a bilateral ceasefire with the Gulf Clan.”
“grossly irresponsible to leave the civilian population defenceless for so long,” he added.
AFP
