Colombian President Opens Talks With Country’s Largest Cocaine Gang

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has initiated formal dialogue with the Clan del Golfo, the country’s most powerful drug-trafficking organisation and one of the world’s top cocaine producers.

Petro announced the development on Friday, 9 August, an event in Córdoba, revealing that the discussions were taking place “outside Colombia.” He did not disclose the specific location or details of the agenda but confirmed the move was part of his administration’s “Total Peace” policy.

The Clan del Golfo, also known as the Gaitanista Army of Colombia, controls a significant portion of the country’s cocaine trade and has been linked to violence in several regions.

The group had previously expressed willingness to negotiate under the Total Peace framework, which allows for “socio-juridical conversations” aimed at securing judicial benefits in exchange for surrender or disarmament.

President Petro’s strategy seeks to engage both ideological insurgent groups and organised crime syndicates in a bid to end decades of conflict and drug-related violence in Colombia.

The government has yet to outline the specific conditions or timeline for the current negotiations.