World
The Colombian Government closed nine dialogue tables and hardened its stance toward armed groups
Abelardo De La Espriella's administration said it will not open talks with structures that continue to commit crimes. According to an official statement, the alternatives will be submission to the law or action by the authorities.
The Government of Colombia ended nine dialogue spaces, socio-legal talks and temporary relocation zones that had been created by the previous administration, and warned that it will not maintain contact with armed groups or criminal structures that continue to commit crimes.
According to El Tiempo Colombia, the official statement was released on September 14. There, Miller Soto, spokesperson for the Executive Branch, said that for President Abelardo De La Espriella there will be no more dialogue forums that, according to the official position, serve to buy time, strengthen criminal organizations or evade justice.
According to the Presidency of the Republic, the closure of those spaces represents a fundamental shift in security and peace policy. The Government also said that over the past four years those approaches were used by the groups to expand across the territory, increase their actions against the Public Force and the civilian population, and challenge justice.
Still according to the official information cited by El Tiempo Colombia, the Executive Branch also pointed to a carried-over state expenditure of more than 7 billion pesos solely in fees for spokespersons and negotiators, in addition to other protection and logistics costs.
The statement indicated that, as of August 7, 2026, the processes with the State Major of the Magdalena Medio Gentil Duarte, Jorge Suárez Briceño and Frente Raúl Reyes blocs, the Coordinadora Nacional Ejército Bolivariano and Frente Comuneros del Sur had ended. Added to that are the talks with the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada and with high-impact gangs in Medellín, the Valle de Aburrá, Quibdó and Buenaventura.
De La Espriella’s administration said it will not negotiate with structures that continue to resort to violence, drug trafficking and extortion, and stressed that its priorities will be the protection of the civilian population, support for the public force and the defense of institutional order.
Sources
About this note. Written by El Notero with assistance from artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not do its own reporting on this event.
