Colombia to resume peace talks with Gulf Clan drugs cartel

BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — Colombia said on Tuesday it will resume peace talks with the nation’s largest illegal armed group two weeks after negotiations were suspended when government officials said that they would try to “neutralize” the Gulf Clan’s top commander.

A joint statement said the suspension of talks had been “overcome” following a meeting between delegations that was facilitated by the Catholic Church, along with the governments of Qatar, Spain, Norway and Switzerland.

The Gulf Clan controls dozens of communities in northern Colombia, where it has been accused of running extortion rackets while profiting from drug trafficking and illegal immigration.

The group of about 9,000 fighters — which is also known as the Gaitanista Self Defense Forces — is considered a drug trafficking operation by the Colombian government. It was designated a terror organization by the U.S. State Department last year.

The Gulf Clan’s leadership claims it is an armed insurgency with political grievances.

The peace talks were suspended earlier this month after the Colombian government said it would work with the United States to capture the group’s top leader, Jobanis de Jesus Avila, known also as Chiquito Malo. The statement was made after a meeting in the White House between President Gustavo Petro and Donald Trump.

In December, Colombia suspended an arrest warrant against Malo and several other Gulf Clan leaders who are participating in talks with the government.

Tuesday’s statement did not clarify if operations against Malo will cease, saying only that “agreements” aimed at advancing the peace talks had been reached.

The talks started last year in Qatar and Colombia’s government had agreed to set up special areas from next month for clan members in three rural municipalities where they would be free from prosecution during the negotiations.