Colombias EGC Suspends Peace Talks with US Over Petro Meeting

Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s administration has reportedly pledged to target the leader of the Gaitanist Army of Colombia (EGC), a country’s largest criminal organization, for arrest. The EGC announced it will temporarily suspend peace talks in Qatar with the Colombian government.

According to reports, the EGC delegation at the negotiating table will pause discussions until they receive updates from the Petro administration regarding the veracity of the information. A statement on X attributed this decision to “the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”

Colombia’s Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez confirmed the reports, sharing a list of three high-level targets, including Jesus Avila Villadiego, alias Chiquito Malo, who is also the EGC’s leader. The other two individuals are top rebel commanders with aliases Ivan Mordisco and Pablito.

A reward for Chiquito Malo’s capture was set at 5 billion Colombian pesos, equivalent to $1.37 million. The public announcement follows a private meeting between Petro and US President Donald Trump at the White House, where Trump reportedly pressured the administration to take more “aggressive action” against narcotics trafficking out of Colombia.

The EGC has been engaged in peace talks with the Colombian government since September 2025. The group is estimated to have almost 10,000 members, according to a recent report by the Ideas for Peace Foundation. In December, the US designated the EGC as a “foreign terrorist organisation”.

A commitment to peace was signed between the two parties on December 5, outlining a roadmap for the EGC to put down arms. The Colombian Supreme Court in January approved Chiquito Malo’s extradition to the US if he is captured.

The decision by Petro’s administration has raised questions about the future of his signature policy, “Total Peace”, which aimed to halt Colombia’s six-decade-long internal conflict.

Source: Al Jazeera