"I have ordered the armed forces to reactivate all military operations against Clan del Golfo," Petro said in a tweet. "We will not allow them to continue to sow fear and panic in the community."
Colombian President Gustavo Petro. Photo: Reuters
The ceasefire with the Clan was announced on New Year's Eve 2023, it was planned to last 6 months.
A few days ago, in a radio interview on March 13, Petro accused the group of destroying a municipal aqueduct in Antioquia province. Petro said at the time that the group had “broken the ceasefire” and that there was no possibility of negotiating with the group if they continued their attacks.
By Sunday, authorities reported that six vehicles had been set on fire in the Bajo Cauca area of Antioquia province, in an incident believed to be related to the mining protest.
Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez told reporters Sunday evening that the government was certain that Clan was responsible for the violence as well as the assault with a rifle against law enforcement, which Petro had referred to in a tweet earlier in the day.
Velasquez said that military and national police forces had been ordered to carry out “offensive operations against the Clan del Golfo.” He added that there were more than 10,000 law enforcement members in the area.
As part of his peace plan, Petro asked Congress to pass a law allowing gangs to surrender, including reduced prison sentences, in exchange for halting operations and paying reparations to victims.
Mai Anh (according to Reuters)
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