Bogotá, Colombia — The Colombian government has confirmed it will open formal negotiations with the country’s largest cocaine cartel, marking one of the most controversial steps yet in President Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” strategy to end decades of violence.
The move comes as Petro, who has just over a year left in office, accelerates efforts to secure agreements with illegal armed groups before his term ends. His “Total Peace” policy, enacted through legislation in 2022, allows the government to hold direct talks not only with leftist guerrilla movements such as the National Liberation Army (ELN) and FARC dissidents, but also with major drug trafficking networks.
Under the legal framework, criminal organizations can enter a “socio-juridical conversation” process aimed at disarmament and reintegration into civilian life, in exchange for judicial benefits. The government hopes this will encourage powerful cartels to abandon illicit economies and reduce violence in regions long scarred by armed conflict.
The cartel set to enter negotiations — widely believed to be the Clan del Golfo — controls a vast share of Colombia’s cocaine production and trafficking routes. It is considered one of the most sophisticated and heavily armed criminal networks in the country, with deep influence in rural territories where state presence is limited.
Critics argue the talks risk legitimising groups driven purely by profit rather than ideology, warning that past truces with such actors have often collapsed. Supporters counter that Colombia’s armed conflict has evolved, and that meaningful peace now requires confronting the economic power of organized crime.
Recent intelligence reports show that armed groups have expanded their territorial control during Petro’s administration, fuelled by revenues from drug trafficking and illegal mining. For the president, negotiating with the cartel represents a calculated gamble: the potential to dismantle a criminal empire that has defied decades of law enforcement pressure — or the risk of granting concessions without lasting peace.
The first round of discussions is expected to take place in the coming weeks under strict confidentiality. Government officials say the talks will focus on a verifiable disarmament plan, truth-telling commitments, and reparations to victims of violence.
For Colombia, the outcome could determine whether “Total Peace” becomes a landmark achievement in ending the nation’s armed conflicts — or another chapter in its long history of failed negotiations.
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