Petro accuses Clan del Golfo of insincerity by reactivating leader's extradition

Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on Wednesday that he has signed a decree lifting the suspension of the extradition order against Jobanis de Jesús Ávila Villadiego, known as "Chiquito Malo," the top leader of the Clan del Golfo. Petro stated that the illegal armed group acted without "sincerity" during the socio-legal negotiation processes initiated by his government.

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I have signed the decree that removes the suspension of the extradition order against Mr. alias 'Chiquito Malo.' If he is captured, he must be extradited immediately.

"I have signed the decree that removes the suspension of the extradition order against Mr. alias 'Chiquito Malo.' If he is captured, he must be extradited immediately," the president wrote on his X account. Ávila Villadiego is wanted by a U.S. federal court on charges related to drug trafficking and conspiracy. In April, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York expanded its indictment to include charges of narcoterrorism and material support for a foreign terrorist organization, following Washington's designation of the Clan del Golfo as the country's largest criminal armed group and a terrorist organization.

Petro asserted that "to achieve success in negotiations between organized armed groups and the State, there must always be, first and foremost, sincerity," reiterating that the group lacked it. Despite this, the head of state defended his policy of dialogue with illegal armed organizations. He championed the socio-legal negotiation model developed by his administration, which aimed to combine demobilization with the social and economic transformation of territories affected by illicit economies. He acknowledged that this strategy yielded partial results, particularly in voluntary substitution of illicit crops, but blamed the Prosecutor's Office and U.S. anti-drug policies for hindering its implementation.

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To achieve success in negotiations between organized armed groups and the State, there must always be, first and foremost, sincerity.

Conversely, Ricardo Giraldo, the lawyer for the Clan del Golfo, rejected the president's claims. He asserted that the organization's "will for peace is documented" since Petro took office in August 2022. Giraldo stated in a press release that the process advanced over nearly four years through official meetings, presidential resolutions, international verification mechanisms, and agreements signed with the government. He argued that the presidential accusation of a lack of "sincerity" disregards the efforts of mediating countries and international organizations involved in the talks. The lawyer also attributed responsibility to the state for the postponement of approximately 400 group members entering Temporary Location Zones, citing the lack of readiness in infrastructure and protocols.

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the will for peace of the organization is documented