The government of Colombia and the criminal organization known as the Gulf Clan (Clan del Golfo) have decided to resume peace talks that were left in limbo after a controversy that shook the negotiating process last week.
The news was confirmed this Monday in an official statement announcing the resumption of the working table convened by the mediating countries, with the presence of international delegations and national players who will accompany efforts to reach agreements between the state and the country’s most powerful illegal armed group.
This new push for the talks comes amid a tense political and social environment, marked by the recent temporary suspension of negotiations after the Colombian government signed in Washington with the administration of the president of the United States a cooperation agreement to prioritize the capture of several transnational crime leaders, among them alias “Chiquito Malo,” the top leader of the criminal structure.
That decision, interpreted by Gulf Clan spokespeople as a contradiction of the logic of peace, led the organization to withdraw from the table and demand clear guarantees to avoid judicial actions or extraditions against its leaders.
The resumption of dialogue once again places at the center of the national debate the scope of the controversial and heavily criticized peace program of the Petro government and the legal prosecution of these criminal groups, responsible for serious human rights violations and widespread criminal activities.
After arrest-plan controversy, Colombia to resume talks with Gulf Clan
Talks with the Gulf Clan have been underway since late 2025, with their main venue in Qatar and under the mediation of a group of countries that include Spain, Norway, and Switzerland.
This negotiating table is part of the broader strategy of President Gustavo Petro’s government to try to close armed conflicts that have persisted in Colombia for decades, within a larger bet on what his administration has called “Total Peace.”
However, foreign mediation efforts have had to contend with the internal tensions inherent in the process. In the days before the temporary suspension, the inclusion of alias “Chiquito Malo” — leader of the armed group — on a list of priority targets for judicial cooperation with the United States triggered the momentary breakdown of the talks.
The Gulf Clan argued that this action violated agreed-upon trust commitments and that placing its top commander under judicial scrutiny made the negotiation unviable.
Faced with that scenario, the Colombian government clarified that arrest warrants were temporarily suspended within the framework of the talks and that the intention to move toward peace should not sidestep the criminal responsibilities established by law.
These statements were part of an effort by the authorities to prevent the failure of the negotiation from becoming a political blow and a source of internal polarization in an electoral year in which security and peace strategies are dominant issues on the public agenda.
☀️¿Quién es Chiquito Malo? ¿Y cómo se convirtió en el líder detrás del poderoso grupo criminal de Colombia, los Gaitanistas? Descúbralo en nuestro perfil sobre este personaje en #InSightsdelVerano. https://t.co/7Zx48dvoCc pic.twitter.com/kKGUhwpX7D
— InSight Crime Español (@InSightCrime_es) August 28, 2025
The challenges of returning to the negotiating table in an electoral scenario
Restarting the talks requires a delicate balance between maintaining the integrity of the process and responding to public demands for justice and security.
On the one hand, the government insists that the participation of international mediators and the presence of observer organizations create a more robust and transparent framework for the conversations, which could pave the way for agreements that go beyond a mere declaration of intentions.
On the other hand, social organizations and opposition sectors have expressed concerns about what they view as excessive concessions to criminal groups that have caused deep harm in numerous regions of the country.
The current scenario also puts on the table the issue of transitional justice for members of an organized criminal structure that has been involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and widespread violence.
Official sources have reiterated that any progress at the table must be compatible with Colombia’s legal framework and with the country’s international commitments on human rights.
Beyond this resumption, the news arrives in an imminent electoral scenario that leaves the continuity of heavily questioned talks up in the air after the presidential elections in May and June, since, beyond the continuity candidacy of Ivan Cepeda, no other contender has openly said that they will maintain the dialogue plan with illegal armed groups.
As this new stage unfolds, the country watches cautiously how the interests of national security, justice, reintegration, and political dialogue will be balanced. The challenge facing the parties is no small one: To ensure that the return to the negotiating table is not merely a symbolic gesture, but the beginning of a viable road map toward a peace the country has long yearned for.