[REVISION HISTORY]

Colombia peace process and security tensions

Updated 5 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-01 20:09 UTC → 2026-09-05 22:19 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In early August 2026, President Gustavo Petro signed a resolution reactivating capture orders against members of the Calarcá dissident groups, including Jonathan Jair Narváez Quintero, alias ‘Gafas’, and seven others. This ended the legal protections they had enjoyed while participating in the national peace dialogue, which had been partially suspended in March 2024. Two days later, a series of bombings across Colombia sparked public outcry. Critics argued that the administration’s security policies were inadequate, noting that illegal armed groups such as the ELN and Clan del Golfo now operate in roughly 180 municipalities—more than double the coverage under the earlier peace framework. Violence remains heavily linked to narcotics trafficking, illegal mining, and international cartel connections. By August 9, President Petro criticized the efficacy of military operations against drug trafficking leaders, reporting that 25 airstrikes failed to hit high-level targets. He suggested possible intelligence leaks and alleged that certain sectors of the U.S. government may have intentionally hindered these captures to undermine his political movement, though he provided no evidence for this claim. Concurrently, the government began dismantling parts of its ‘Total Peace’ initiative, including the transfer of former paramilitary leaders Carlos Mario Jiménez, alias ‘Macaco’, and Hernán Giraldo, who had previously served as peace mediators. By late August, the ‘Paz Total’ policy faced increased scrutiny regarding its impact on territorial control. Reports indicated that armed organizations have strengthened their presence in strategic corridors in regions like Nariño, Putumayo, and Cauca. Additionally, investigations surfaced concerning recordings of conversations between former Peace Commissioner Danilo Rueda and representatives of the Clan del Golfo. By the end of August, data from the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences revealed that 458 people had died in military operations during the Petro administration as of May 31, including 62 minors.

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