President Abelardo de la Espriella Ends Peace Total Policy and Closes Dialogue Tables

President Abelardo de la Espriella has officially terminated the "paz total" policy inherited from former President Gustavo Petro, closing all negotiation tables with armed groups and criminal organizations. Through a series of administrative acts, including Resolution 391 of 2026, the president revoked the designation of government representatives for dialogues with the ELN and other groups. These measures also dismantle spaces with the Comuneros del Sur, the State Mayor of Blocks and Fronts, the National Army Coordinator, the Conquistadores of the Sierra Nevada, and the Clan del Golfo. Additionally, the government ended the Temporary Location Zone for the National Army Coordinator in Putumayo.

President De la Espriella stated that criminals will no longer receive political status or impunity, asserting that true peace is built through security, authority, and justice. He criticized the previous administration for spending over 7 billion pesos on negotiator fees while criminal organizations strengthened their positions. The new government is now pursuing a strategy of submission to justice or the use of legitimate force, which includes a plan to resume the fumigation of illicit crops and the signing of numerous extraditions. These moves coincide with recent discussions with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding concrete results in the fight against drug trafficking.

Outlets with a center lean framed the event as a systematic dismantling of the previous regime's policies, noting that many of the president's first decisions specifically revoke prior norms. Meanwhile, outlets with a center left lean framed the event as a shift in strategy where the option of dialogue is considered exhausted, emphasizing the government's focus on judicial submission and international cooperation with the United States.