crime
Colombian government suspends ceasefire with clan
A police helicopter lands on a coca plantation in Tumaco, Colombia, during an extermination operation. photo
© Ivan Valencia/AP/dpa
The crime syndicate “Clan del Golfo” smuggles tons of cocaine and recruits former right-wing paramilitaries. The recently negotiated ceasefire with the Colombian government is not lasting.
After more than two months, the Colombian government suspended the ceasefire with the powerful drug gang “Clan del Golfo” (Golf Clan).
“I have instructed the security forces to reactivate all military operations against the Gulf clan,” the South American country’s President Gustavo Petro wrote on Twitter. “We will not allow them to continue to sow fear and terror in the community.” Accordingly, a gun attack by the Gulf clan on police forces had broken the ceasefire.
Colombia’s first left-wing president announced at the end of last year that his government had agreed a ceasefire with several armed groups, including the Gulf clan, until the end of June.
The “Clan del Golfo”, which mainly recruits its members from former right-wing paramilitaries, is considered to be one of the most powerful drug organizations in Colombia, responsible for smuggling tons of cocaine into Central and North America. The government suspended the ceasefire with the left-wing guerrilla organization ELN after just a few days.
For 52 years, Colombia suffered from a civil war between left-wing rebels, right-wing paramilitaries and the military. 220,000 people lost their lives and millions were displaced. The security situation has improved after the 2016 peace agreement between the government and the largest rebel group FARC, but parts of the country are still controlled by illegal groups. During the election campaign, ex-guerrilla Petro promised to start talks with all armed groups in order to achieve comprehensive peace.