Colombia's largest armed group, the Gulf Clan (known officially as Gaitanist Self-Defence Forces, or EGC), announced on February 17, 2026, that it is resuming peace negotiations with the Petro government after a brief suspension. The halt had come after President Petro met with Donald Trump and agreed to prioritize three cartel leaders—including Gulf Clan chief Jobanis de Jesús Ávila Villadiego, known as "Chiquito Malo"—as targets for US-supported action.
Understanding Colombia's armed groups helps put security news in context. The Gulf Clan is not an ideological guerrilla group like the ELN. It's a criminal organization that controls drug trafficking routes and extortion networks along Colombia's Caribbean coast, the Chocó region, and parts of Antioquia's countryside.
The Gulf Clan has a minimal presence in Medellín proper, though it maintains criminal networks in surrounding municipalities. Tourist and expat neighborhoods are controlled primarily by combos (local street gangs) affiliated with the Oficina de Envigado syndicate—a separate, city-specific criminal structure.
Petro's "Total Peace" initiative, launched when he took office in 2022, aimed to negotiate simultaneous deals with all armed groups. By early 2026, only two active sets of talks remain:
ELN peace talks—the guerrilla group most associated with past attacks near Medellín—remain suspended after the ELN's January 2025 Catatumbo offensive that killed over 100 people and displaced 56,000.
The Trump administration has applied significant pressure on Colombia regarding drug trafficking, threatening tariffs and visa restrictions in early 2025. Petro initially resisted but eventually agreed to cooperation on extradition targets. This dynamic shapes both the peace process and Colombia's economic relationship with the US—which in turn affects the COP/USD exchange rate relevant to all expats.