The challenge of dialogue with the Gulf Clan: Peace or confrontation in Colombia?

The iron fist seems to be the fashionable strategy for combating organized crime in Latin America, with governments like those of El Salvador, Honduras, and Ecuador opting for a firm stance with no room for negotiations with criminal groups. However, in Colombia, history has taught valuable lessons about the ineffectiveness of trying to eliminate criminal organizations solely through military force, opening the possibility of dialogue as a way to address the conflict. In an unconventional scenario, the government of Gustavo Petro in Colombia has proposed the opening of negotiation tables with the self-proclaimed Gaitanista Army of Colombia (EGC), known as the Gulf Clan, the most powerful criminal group in the country. This proposal has generated surprise and debate in a context where the regional trend is direct confrontation with criminal gangs. Elizabeth Dickinson, an analyst at the International Crisis Group in Colombia, emphasizes the importance of considering dialogue as a complementary tool to armed struggle in dismantling criminal organizations. Colombia has experienced decades of armed conflict and has learned that the solution is not solely military, but requires a comprehensive approach that includes the possibility of negotiation. The approach between Petro and the EGC represents a significant step in the peace process in Colombia, although at the moment it is only about words and distant positions between the parties. The EGC has expressed interest in negotiating political conditions that allow for social transformations in the regions where they operate, while the government maintains its reservations by not considering the group as an organization with political aims. Petro's proposal is a challenge that raises questions about the possible obstacles and guarantees that could arise in a negotiation process with the EGC. It is crucial to understand the expectations and motivations of both parties, as well as to establish a solid legal framework that supports any agreement reached. Colombia, with its history marked by armed conflict, is at a crucial moment where the experience gained over the years can open new paths towards peace. Dialogue as a tool for resolving complex conflicts stands as a fundamental pillar in the search for a sustainable and lasting solution to the violence and criminality that have plagued the country for decades.