Colombia's Largest Cartel Abandons Peace Talks Amid Trump-Petro Alliance
A major blow has been dealt to Colombia's long-stalled peace negotiations as the country's most powerful cartel, the Gulf Clan, walked away from talks in Qatar. The sudden collapse of the discussions came after US President Donald Trump and Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro vowed a joint operation against three high-profile cocaine trafficking bosses.
The joint agreement targets Ivan Mordisco, Colombia's most wanted rebel; Chiquito Malo, commander of the Clan del Golfo cartel; and Pablito, an ELN guerrilla leader operating on the Venezuelan border. The move has significant implications for Colombia's efforts to negotiate peace accords with major criminal groups.
Colombia is the world's largest producer of cocaine, accounting for around 70% of global output, while the US is its biggest consumer. The Petro-Trump pact signals a new era in security cooperation between the two countries, with Venezuela also set to be drawn into the campaign.
Historically, the Colombia-Venezuela border has been a safe haven for cartel and guerrilla fighters, with many finding refuge there after leaving their respective territories. However, since the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, there are hopes that security cooperation can improve.
The talks between the Gulf Clan and Colombian officials had been ongoing for around five months in Qatar before the sudden withdrawal. The Clan's statement announcing its decision to leave the negotiating table described it as "an attack on the good faith and commitments of Doha", with government officials confirming that the account posting the message belongs to the paramilitary group's origin organization.
The move marks a significant turning point in Colombia's efforts to negotiate peace accords with major criminal groups, leaving many wondering what the future holds for the country's fragile peace process.
A major blow has been dealt to Colombia's long-stalled peace negotiations as the country's most powerful cartel, the Gulf Clan, walked away from talks in Qatar. The sudden collapse of the discussions came after US President Donald Trump and Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro vowed a joint operation against three high-profile cocaine trafficking bosses.
The joint agreement targets Ivan Mordisco, Colombia's most wanted rebel; Chiquito Malo, commander of the Clan del Golfo cartel; and Pablito, an ELN guerrilla leader operating on the Venezuelan border. The move has significant implications for Colombia's efforts to negotiate peace accords with major criminal groups.
Colombia is the world's largest producer of cocaine, accounting for around 70% of global output, while the US is its biggest consumer. The Petro-Trump pact signals a new era in security cooperation between the two countries, with Venezuela also set to be drawn into the campaign.
Historically, the Colombia-Venezuela border has been a safe haven for cartel and guerrilla fighters, with many finding refuge there after leaving their respective territories. However, since the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, there are hopes that security cooperation can improve.
The talks between the Gulf Clan and Colombian officials had been ongoing for around five months in Qatar before the sudden withdrawal. The Clan's statement announcing its decision to leave the negotiating table described it as "an attack on the good faith and commitments of Doha", with government officials confirming that the account posting the message belongs to the paramilitary group's origin organization.
The move marks a significant turning point in Colombia's efforts to negotiate peace accords with major criminal groups, leaving many wondering what the future holds for the country's fragile peace process.
I'm not surprised by this development. The US and Colombia have been getting more aggressive in their approach to combating organized crime. Petro's willingness to work with Trump on a joint operation against these high-profile figures is a clear sign that he's willing to take tough action.
Colombia is about to face some serious heat with this move. A joint operation between Trump and Petro could be a game-changer in their fight against cartels, but it also raises questions about the future of their peace talks. Can they really make progress when there's so much at stake? 
Only time will tell if this partnership is a winning formula or a recipe for disaster. 
thinkin about all those ppl caught in the crossfire of cartels and politics... i was wonderin if we'd ever see a real end to the violence in colombia 
but now it seems like progress is gettin' thrown out the window 
what's goin on with petro and trump, they're supposed to be workin together not against each other 
guess that joint op might just be another way for cartels to stay safe 
. It's also worrying that this could push some of these groups even further underground, making them harder to track down 
.
... We don't know all the facts yet, but it's clear that this development is going to have a major impact on Colombia's peace talks 
.
. Time will tell if they can manage it, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that things don't go too far out of hand 
it sounds like trump & petro r tryin 2 take down these cartels but now its all messed up cuz the gulf clan just pulled out of peace talks 
and what's w/ venezuela gettin pulled into it too? 
hopefully somethin good comes outta this or colombia's gonna b in 4 more years 
Just kidding! It's not that easy, but it does highlight how hard it must be to balance security with negotiating peace accords. The US & Petro alliance might help crack down on cartel activity, but what about the people caught in the middle? 
Colombia's got some serious problems when it comes to crime and corruption. I wonder if we'll see any real progress or just more of the same old cycle... 
I mean, how many times have we seen these kinds of agreements collapse because they don't go far enough or are just used as a showpiece for politicians? 
. I mean, what's the real goal here? Is it really about taking down these cartel leaders or is it just a way for Trump to flex his muscles on the international stage? 
that's a major blow to Colombia's peacemaking efforts, fam 
. We'll just have to wait & see how this whole thing plays out 
. Can't wait to see how this plays out on Venezuela's border 
. Colombia's cocaine problem needs an overhaul, and this move might be the wake-up call it needs 
and now this? It seems like all parties involved are still playing dirty games 
If they can bring down Ivan Mordisco and Chiquito Malo, it could be a major blow to the cocaine trade 
, it seems like the Gulf Clan is abandoning peace talks... again 
- hope this joint op actually brings some results 
!