Latin America Advisor

Latin America Advisor

A Publication of The Dialogue

Will Colombia Be Able to Make Peace With the Gulf Clan?

The Gaitanista Self Defense Forces of Colombia, or Gulf Clan, said last week that it had accepted President Gustavo Petro’s offer to begin peace negotiations. // File Photo: Colombian Government.

The Gaitanista Self Defense Forces of Colombia, better known as the Gulf Clan, Colombia’s largest criminal group, said on March 19 that it had accepted President Gustavo Petro’s offer to start peace negotiations. How important are the talks to Petro’s “Total Peace” efforts? What are the next steps for the Gulf Clan and the government? How likely is the Gulf Clan to negotiate in good faith, and what is driving it to engage in talks with the government? Is it a wise policy choice for Petro to attempt negotiations with the group, and what is the likelihood of security in Colombia being bolstered by striking a deal with the Gulf Clan?

Peter DeShazo, visiting professor of Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies at Dartmouth College and former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs: “Formed by cadres from the AUC paramilitary umbrella group that disbanded during the Uribe administration and ex-leftist guerrillas, the Gulf Clan, (or ‘Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia’) like the AUC before it, constitutes a serious threat to legitimate state authority. Defining itself as a ‘political and military’ organization, it is a criminal enterprise based on drug trafficking and other illegal activities that controls considerable territory in northern Colombia. Similar to the AUC, the Gulf Clan attempts to cloak itself in legitimacy, claiming to promote social welfare and defense of local populations against the ELN fighters and ex-FARC gangs who compete with it for territory and control of drug trafficking. Under his ‘Total Peace’ initiative, President Petro is offering…”

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The Inter-American Dialogue publishes the Latin America Advisor every business day for a distinguished membership of informed corporate leaders, scholars, and government officials invested in Latin America’s development and future. The Advisor‘s highly regarded Q&A section covers questions submitted by subscribers themselves. Commentators regularly include heads of state, business leaders, diplomats, economists, analysts, and thought leaders from around the world. Many of the world’s largest and fastest-growing companies subscribe to the Advisor. To subscribe, click here. For terms and conditions, click here. For more information, contact Gene Kuleta, editor of the Advisor, at gkuleta@thedialogue.org.


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Gene Kuleta

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