One of the peace processes that has shown serious progress has been that of the Colombian government with the Clan del Golfo, which calls itself the Gaitanista Army of Colombia (EGC), from Doha, Qatar.
The process has substantiated two key points. One of them was the creation of temporary residence zones for members of the armed group, which would include their demobilization process and their reintegration into civilian life, as well as a communication and security protocol to verify the scope of the process between the parties.
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However, one of the points that gained great relevance in the South American country was that If the trial between the parties comes to a successful conclusion, the leaders of this armed group will be held in penitentiaries and prison centers in Colombia.
The proposal was unveiled by Álvaro Jiménez, chief negotiator of President Gustavo Petro’s government, at the social table with the EGC in dialogue Reutersin which he claimed that this measure differs from other processes in which alternative and reparative punishments are agreed, as is the case of the peace agreement with the extinct FARC.
“One aspect that we have discussed in great detail in the development of this entire previous phase and the one we are now moving forward, namely formal meetings with international accompaniment, is that there will be prison“Jiménez told the international media.
For his part, the official explained that the debate focuses exclusively on the conditions and places of detention, since the determination of the duration and type of punishment depends on the judiciary and transitional justice systems that could be implemented according to the evolution of the process.
“The only thing we can discuss is the conditions and the locations, but there will be prison. How much, what size? It’s not up to us“It is up to the judicial power and the transitional justice systems that can be applicable according to the development we are experiencing,” he stressed to the aforementioned media.
On the other hand, Álvaro Jiménez highlighted the first points agreed with the EGC in Qatar.
First, he explained that the aim is the complete demobilization of the armed group and that, although no bilateral ceasefire has been agreed, both parties have agreed to the creation of three temporary location zones to group combatants from March 1, 2026, with the particularity that this will take place days before the congressional elections and the presidential consultations.
“The aim of this process is to demobilize the armed group. It is clear that we must disarm“, stated the negotiator of the Colombian government, adding that this armed organization has more than 9,000 members in its ranks, spread across 135 municipalities in the north of the country.
In addition, Jiménez recalled that the Colombian government is trying to consolidate its presence in the areas controlled by the Gulf clan through social investments and the replacement of coca leaf crops, the raw material for cocaine, in addition to preventing other criminal organizations from filling the gap that could be created by an eventual demobilization.
Also in statements about it Snail radioÁlvaro Jiménez emphasized the importance for the communities affected by the Gulf clan’s criminal actions to actively participate in the peace process.
“State building is not about sending something called the state in a small package from Bogotá and stopping it there. That’s not how it works.” State building sets in motion a process in which the fundamental actors are local authorities, communities, their social and community organizations and the instruments that the nation state must accompany. This is where we need to start putting this process in motion,” he told the aforementioned radio station.
In terms of international support, the administration has invited the United States and the United Kingdom to join as observers, despite recent diplomatic disagreements between President Petro and Donald Trump’s administration over the fight against drug trafficking. However, Jiménez pointed out that none of these countries have yet decided to participate in the dialogue table.
“We want a very active international community at this table. The consolidated group of mediating countries is the State of Qatar, which is also the host country. Secondly, there is the Royal Government of Norway. Then come the Swiss Confederation and the Royal Government of Spain. These four countries are the ones conducting mediation today and actively participating in the process,” said the negotiator. Snail radio.
The chief negotiator also emphasized that the arrest and extradition orders against the main commanders of the EGC will be gradually suspended as the process progresses.
The armed group’s top leaders are Jobanis de Jesús Ávila Villadiego, alias Chiquito Malo, and Gonzalo de Jesús Bustos Candelario, alias Gonzalito. There is also Fredy Antonio Hernández Martínez, aka Negro Sarley, and Andrés Felipe Hurtado Guzmán, aka Andresito.
Finally, Álvaro Jiménez addressed the future of the trial with the Clan del Golfo, taking into account that there are only eight months left until the end of Gustavo Petro’s term.
“There are still eight months until the end of the current president’s administration. The time to build peace goes far beyond government. We will move forward and we hope that we will do so sufficiently, given that the process is becoming irreversible,” he explained.
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