The Gulf Clan, an illegal group that has advanced the so-called pistol plan against members of the police, announced on August 7 its willingness to avail itself of what the incoming government, Gustavo Petro, has called “total peace.” In a statement, the armed group reported that it is decreeing a unilateral ceasefire.
Consistent with these historical dates, we also decree a unilateral cessation of offensive hostilitiesas an expression of goodwill with the incoming government and its broad willingness to search for paths of peace for all the actors in the conflict, as of August 7,” dictates a statement signed by the general staff of this irregular group.
In the statement, the Clan del Golfo expressed its “good will” to engage in exploratory dialogues that the Petro government has proposed: “We believe that it is the best decision for the forgotten Colombia that we represent,” they say.
The Clan’s pronouncement comes days after executing a criminal offensive in the country against members of the public force that left at least 36 police officers dead on duty.
Along the same lines, he spoke from his detention center in Brooklyn, New York, Dairo Antonio Usuga, alias Otoniel. The person extradited to the United States affirmed that he is still the leader of this illegal group and sent a letter to the new government.
“In that sense, Mr. President, I call on the General Staff of the Galtanist Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AGC) to cease all activities against the Colombian public force, as well as to suspend the call for strikes. armed before his inauguration as president of the Colombians and much less during his mandatebecause these actions harm the civilian population,” Otoniel pointed out.
Úsuga expressed his willingness to contribute with the truth and to build the total peace proposed by the new government. “I offer humble support to help stop the violence in regions affected by violence such as Urabá, Chocó, Sucre and Córdoba.”
In the document, which was released this Sunday but is dated August 4, the extradited person appealed for forgiveness from Colombian society for “the misfortune and pain inflicted on hundreds of victims in this long armed conflict” and expressed his commitment to the reconciliation.
On July 29, Gustavo Petro asked the Clan del Golfo to stop the pistol plan that it has been carrying out in the country. “Killing young police officers is not the way. From here I tell you: suspend death, the path is life”, said the president.
Added to the will of the Clan is that already expressed by the Eln, a guerrilla group that has stated that it is willing to resume talks with the Colombian state, suspended since 2019 after the attack on the General Santander cadet school.
“The ELN maintains its political and military struggle and resistance system active, but also its full willingness to advance in a Peace Process that gives continuity to the Table of Conversations that began in Quito in February 2017,” the guerrilla had anticipated.
The proposal of the new government is to sit down at the table of dialogue or submission with the various armed groups that operate in the country. Chile and Norway have offered themselves as guarantors in a possible negotiation.