Colombia ends peace negotiations with three armed groups, dismantling Petro's 25-point plan

Termination of peace negotiations

President Abelardo de la Espriella officially ended peace negotiations with multiple illegal armed groups in Colombia on 29 August 2026. The move dismantles the "Paz total" policy introduced by his predecessor, Gustavo Petro, which attempted to negotiate simultaneous settlements with guerrilla factions and criminal organizations. The government announced the decision through a series of official decrees after determining that the armed groups lacked genuine commitment to disarmament. De la Espriella took office on 7 August 2026, pledging a different approach toward illegal organizations operating across the country.

The option of dialogue is completely exhausted.

Legal resolutions and revoked mandates

The administration issued nine executive resolutions on the night of Friday, 28 August 2026, which were made public on Saturday. The Colombian presidency exercised its constitutional authority to determine how, when, and with whom the state conducts peace conversations. Each of the three dismantled negotiation tables was closed through three specific resolutions that detailed alleged breaches by the armed groups. Resolution 342 of 2026 stated that accumulated violations made it impossible to verify real intentions to re-enter civilian life. Alongside closing the dialogue tables, the government revoked the official negotiating credentials of state delegates and armed group representatives. Gloria Quiceno lost her status as the government chief negotiator for talks with dissident factions, while Armando Novoa had his mandate ended for conversations with southern guerrilla units. Novoa described the revocation as an unnecessary act following the change in administration.

Dissident factions and paramilitary groups

The executive orders shut down formal contact with three distinct armed structures across Colombia. Negotiations ended with the Estado Mayor de los Bloques Magdalena Medio (EMBF), led by the commander known as alias Calarcá. The government simultaneously stripped representative status from ten EMBF delegates, including Adolfo Ballesteros Fernández, Óscar Ojeda, and Alexander Díaz Mendoza. Talks were also terminated with the Coordinadora Nacional Ejército Bolivariano (CNEB), an armed coalition active in southwestern Colombia. The third negotiation space brought to a close involved the Autodefensas Conquistadores de la Sierra Nevada (ACSN), a paramilitary group operating in northern Colombia.

Background of the fractured accords

The dismantled framework was designed to extend the 24 November 2016 peace accord between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Petro's 25-point plan had sought comprehensive negotiations with groups including the ELN guerrilla force and the Clan del Golfo drug cartel, alongside victim reparations and agrarian reform. However, internal fractures divided the insurgent groups during previous talks. The EMBF broke away from the Estado Mayor Central (EMC) dissident network in 2024 after disagreements over continuing talks with Bogotá. Similarly, the CNEB was formed through internal divisions within the Segunda Marquetalia dissidence, combining the Coordinadora Guerrillera del Pacífico and the Comandos de Frontera. The government cited non-compliance and continuing violent operations across rural territories as the formal justification for terminating all three negotiation processes.