Criminal group says negotiations are on hold following reports its leader has been named a priority arrest target
By The Midtown Times Staff
Published Feb. 4, 2026
Colombia’s largest criminal organization, the Gaitanist Army of Colombia (EGC), has announced a temporary suspension of peace negotiations in Doha, citing reports that President Gustavo Petro pledged to pursue the arrest of its top leader during a recent meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
In a statement posted Wednesday on social media, the EGC, also known as the Gulf Clan, said it was pausing talks to verify information circulating in the media and to seek clarification from the Colombian government. The group warned that, if confirmed, the reports would represent a breach of trust and a violation of commitments made during negotiations in Qatar.
“By order of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the EGC delegation has decided to temporarily step away from the negotiating table to assess the accuracy of this information,” the group said. “If true, it would constitute a violation of good faith and the agreements reached in Doha.”
Colombia’s Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez later confirmed that the government had identified three major drug traffickers as high-priority targets. Among them was Jesús Ávila Villadiego, known as “Chiquito Malo,” the alleged head of the EGC. Authorities announced a reward of 5 billion Colombian pesos (about $1.37 million) for information leading to his capture.
The list also included two other senior figures known by their aliases, Iván Mordisco and Pablito, both linked to armed groups involved in narcotics trafficking.
The public declaration followed a closed-door meeting Tuesday at the White House, marking the first in-person encounter between Petro and Trump. For months, Trump has pressed Colombia to intensify its crackdown on drug production and trafficking, arguing that stronger measures are needed to curb cocaine flows into the United States.
During the meeting, Petro’s delegation presented U.S. officials with a detailed report highlighting Colombia’s counter-narcotics efforts. Titled “Colombia: America’s #1 Ally Against Narcoterrorists,” the dossier outlined cocaine seizure figures, coca eradication programs, and recent arrests and killings of high-level traffickers.
However, analysts say the apparent commitment to cooperate with Washington in targeting Chiquito Malo has jeopardized ongoing peace talks with the EGC and cast uncertainty over Petro’s flagship “Total Peace” strategy, an initiative aimed at negotiating with armed groups and criminal networks to bring an end to Colombia’s decades-long internal conflict.
The EGC, estimated to have nearly 10,000 members according to the Ideas for Peace Foundation, has been engaged in formal talks with the Colombian government in Doha since September 2025. In December, both sides signed a “commitment to peace” outlining a path toward disarmament and demobilization. Under the plan, EGC fighters were to begin assembling in temporary zones starting in March, and arrest warrants for key commanders, including Chiquito Malo, were suspended to facilitate the process.
That framework now appears shaken. Gerson Arias, a conflict and security analyst at the Bogota-based Ideas for Peace Foundation, said the government’s latest move has raised fears within the group.
“They see this as a direct threat,” Arias said. “Any commander who enters a temporary zone while still facing arrest risks being detained.”
The Colombian Supreme Court approved Chiquito Malo’s extradition to the United States in January, should he be captured, though the final decision rests with the president. By publicly designating him as a target during the Washington meeting, Petro signaled openness to both arrest and extradition.
Experts say the possibility of U.S. involvement has further unsettled the group. Laura Bonilla, deputy director of the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation, noted that being pursued jointly by Colombian and U.S. authorities dramatically raises the stakes.
“It’s one thing to be hunted by Colombia alone,” she said. “It’s very different when U.S. intelligence and strategic interests are also involved.”
Despite suspending talks, the EGC emphasized that the pause is not permanent. Ricardo Giraldo, a lawyer representing the group, said negotiations could resume once assurances are provided.
“The suspension is temporary,” Giraldo said. “For dialogue to continue, the government must guarantee legal and personal security and honor the commitments made in Doha.”
Whether those assurances can be reconciled with Colombia’s renewed pledge to pursue top traffickers may determine the future of Petro’s peace agenda and the fate of negotiations with one of the country’s most powerful criminal networks.
By The Midtown Times Staff
Published Feb. 4, 2026
