Gulf Clan Drug Cartel to Negotiate with President Gustavo Petro

In a statement released on March 18, 2024, the Gulf Clan (Clan del Golfo), Colombia’s most powerful drug cartel, expressed a positive response to President Gustavo Petro’s proposal for negotiations. Earlier that day, during a public speech in Apartado, Antioquia Department, President Petro suggested that negotiating with the Gulf Clan was an option. This comes after the President’s statements in February 2024, where he presented the criminal organization with an ultimatum: to accept negotiating with the government or face military actions, including bombing raids.

Gulf Clan on the path to negotiations?

The March 18, 2024 Gulf Clan statement is a direct response to Gustavo Petro’s public remarks. In his address, President Petro mentioned that if the Gulf Clan “dares to, we [the Colombian government] open the tables of negotiation (…) but this would require daring to leave illicit economy and illegality.” Should the cartel decide otherwise, the Colombian president emphasized that the government would “wage war” and “destroy the clan”.

In its response, the Gulf Clan accepted “the invitation” but sought to clarify its involvement in illegal activities. The criminal organization denied any participation in migrant trafficking and downplayed its role in the cocaine trade, asserting that these activities predated the Gulf Clan’s existence.

A criminal organization

One of the main challenges in the dialogue and peace process between the Colombian government and illegal armed groups is the latter’s deep involvement in the illegal economy. Over the years, drug trafficking, illegal mining, illegal oil refining or migrant trafficking have evolved into the primary objectives of these criminal organizations, both guerrillas and paramilitary, which now pursue financial rather than political goals.

The Gulf Clan, also known as Gaitanist Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, stands as the country’s most powerful paramilitary group and drug cartel. Officially established as a response to far-left guerrilla groups, the organization’s involvement in illegal activities quickly became its primary focus. Despite several blows to its leadership, including the arrest of its historical leader, so-called “Otoniel” in October 2021, the group remains extremely active throughout Colombia, frequently engaging in territorial conflicts with rival criminal factions.