President Petro Revokes Peace Negotiator Status for Calarcá Dissidents

President Gustavo Petro issued Resolution 298 on August 3, revoking the status of seven representatives from the Calarcá dissident group in peace dialogues with the government. The decision was based on the determination that these individuals did not demonstrate a real will to advance the construction of peace. One of the removed negotiators is Alexander Farfán Suárez, known as Gafas, who was appointed to the role in 2023. The removal of this status means the Attorney General's office could reactivate arrest warrants for these individuals. Alexander Díaz, known as Calarcá, has been charged in absentia with ten crimes, including forced disappearance, aggravated homicide of a protected person, and the recruitment of minors. He is accused of ordering at least three massacres in Guaviare and the murder of six peace signers. A center leaning source frames this move as evidence of the failure of the total peace policy, noting that armed groups nearly doubled in size over four years and citing a report from the Fundación Ideas para la Paz. This source highlights that the Clan del Golfo grew from 4,000 to 10,000 members, while the Calarcá dissidents numbered 3,001 as of July 2026.