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“The ceasefire draft published in local outlets was drawn up some time ago," said Rueda, the Colombian government's High Commissioner for Peace.
On Friday, the Colombian High Commissioner for Peace Danilo Rueda denied the allegations circulating in local outlets about a resumption of the ceasefire with the paramilitary group Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AGC), also known as the Gulf Clan.
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“The ceasefire draft published in the media was drawn up some time ago. Our office keeps communication with two AGC facilitators. We made significant progress in our last meeting. However, to date, the bilateral ceasefire with them is still suspended," he explained.
Formed in 2006, the AGC mainly dedicates to drug trafficking, extortion, and illegal mining activities. It has about 9,000 members who operate in 14 out of 32 departments.
“This group has strong military deployment capabilities and links to organizations in other countries,” analyst Diego Restrepo told the EFE agency.
In 2015, Colombian authorities launched the Agamemnon I and II military operations, which allowed to capture of over 20 commanders of this criminal organization.
Last night in Naples I met Anna and Pino, the parents of Mario Paciolla. They told me about their pain and the suspicious circumstances of their son’s death in Colombia while working for the UN. For years they have been searching for the truth and are asking people to come… pic.twitter.com/AIFCebKK5G
— Stella Assange #FreeAssangeNOW (@Stella_Assange) April 28, 2023
In October 2021, the authorities jailed the AGC's highest chief Dairo Usuga, a.k.a “Otoniel," and extradited him to the U.S. in May 2022. His extradition unleashed the fury of the Gulf Clan members, who paralyzed eleven departments and killed about 24 citizens.
On March 19, President Gustavo Petro suspended a ceasefire he had agreed with the AGC as this armed group’s members backed violent actions held during a mining strike in the Bajo Cauca region in the Antioquia department.
"The Colombian government is willing to hear and negotiate peace with the AGC and any other armed group as long as they offer clear and verifiable gestures of de-escalation," Rueda pointed out.
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro to lead the Army towards a new conception of war. pic.twitter.com/rcJO7oown0
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) August 22, 2022
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