Medellin, Colombia – The Armed Forces of Colombia (EGC), also known as Clan del Golfo (Gulf Clan), announced a moratorium on “war taxes” from July 10 to October 10 in several municipalities in the provinces of Antioquia and Córdoba.
In a statement issued Tuesday through the Roberto Vargas Gutierrez Bloc, the group described the move as a “message of goodwill” towards President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella.
De la Espriella, a populist right-wing candidate and former criminal defense lawyer with ties to the now-defunct AUC paramilitary group, won the June 21 runoff election by less than 1 percent against leftist senator Iván Cepeda.
The EGC said in a statement that the message was delivered to Córdoba Governor Erasmo Zuleta Bechara, the mediators and international facilitators involved in the peace process.
“We reaffirm our commitment to the agreement reached at the dialogue table and our willingness to pursue a negotiated solution to the dispute,” the statement said.
The EGC began formal peace talks with the Colombian government in September 2025, with talks briefly suspended in February this year and then resumed in the same month.
Outgoing President Gustavo Petro has tried to negotiate and disarm Colombia’s various illegal armed groups as part of his “complete peace” plan, but with little success.
The EGC emphasized that the suspension would only apply to “specific areas,” meaning local governments listed in the statement. As of this year, the Ombudsman’s Office reported that EGCs exist in 468 municipalities.
The group also directed the front lines operating in the municipality along with the administrative leadership to ensure compliance with the provisions outlined in the statement.
“We also reiterate our call for the incoming government to appoint observers who will personally witness and accompany the progress of the dialogue process,” the statement concluded. “We have nothing to hide and much to show about what has been built so far.”
The president-elect campaigned on promises of a tough approach to armed groups.
De la Espriella had already issued an ultimatum to armed groups on June 25, giving them a month to “organize obedience to the rule of law” and warning that “there will be no generous offers or unacceptable concessions” from his administration.
According to the newspaper about this audienceThe EGC sent a letter reiterating its intention to keep the dialogue table open.
“We recognize your legitimate interest in transforming the informal economy that exists in the territories where the Armed Forces of Colombia (EGC) is stationed, and we invite you to join us as partners in building the state and achieving meaningful territorial transformation.”
Featured image: Screenshot from video of fighters from Colombia’s Gaitanist Armed Forces (EGC)
Image credit: @soygaitanista via X
This article originally appeared on The Bogotá Post and is republished with permission.
