Colombian president begins talks with top cocaine cartel Clan del Golfo
The group, which calls itself the Gaitanista Army of Colombia, has roots in right-wing paramilitary forces and remains a major security threat.
Petro revealed the talks during a public event in Córdoba, located roughly 289 kilometres west of Bogotá.
No further details were provided regarding the discussions.
Clan del Golfo seeks political recognition to obtain judicial leniency similar to guerrilla and paramilitary groups.
Last month, Petro's government proposed offering criminal groups reduced sentences and non-extradition in exchange for disarmament.
Since taking office in 2022, Petro has struggled to secure peace deals with armed factions.
Colombia currently faces record-high drug cultivation, with 253,000 hectares dedicated to narcotics production.
The US designated Clan del Golfo as a terrorist organisation under President Trump in 2025.
The UN has condemned the group for forcibly recruiting minors into its ranks.
Colombia risks losing US financial aid as its certification as a drug war ally undergoes review in September.
Recent reports suggest Trump has urged military readiness against Latin American cartels, including Venezuela's Tren de Aragua.
US-Colombia relations have worsened since Trump's return to the White House earlier this year.
Last month, Washington recalled its top diplomat in Bogotá following undisclosed diplomatic tensions.
Petro previously accused the US and right-wing extremists of conspiring to overthrow his government. - AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
27 minutes ago
- The Star
Nearly P3mil shabu seized in Zamboanga weeklong ops
ZAMBOANGA CITY: Authorities arrested eight drug suspects and confiscated shabu (crystal methamphetamine) worth P2.9 million (US$51,101) across the Zamboanga Peninsula on Aug. 1 to 8. The most significant drug haul took place on Aug. 7 in this city, where P2.5 million worth of shabu were separately confiscated from three high-value targets, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula Director Brig. Gen. Eleazar Matta said in a news release Sunday (Aug 10). 'Such accomplishments are a direct result of inter-unit collaboration, actionable intelligence and the professionalism of our personnel,' Matta said in a statement. One of the suspects, aged 22, was arrested in a buy-bust operation at a motel in Barangay Guiwan. He yielded some 250 grams of shabu worth P1.7 million. The two others arrested in Barangay San Roque and Barangay Tulungatung on Aug. 7 had a combined 130 grams of shabu worth more than P1.2 million. 'The four other suspects were arrested during separate anti-drug operations in Zamboanga del Norte within the same period,' Matta said. Matta encouraged the public to stay alert and work with authorities by reporting suspicious activities in their communities. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Judge who presided over Trump election case assigned to Epstein lawsuit
WASHINGTON: A lawsuit seeking access to government documents related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein has been assigned to US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who previously presided over former US president Donald Trump's federal election interference case. According to The New Republic, the suit, filed by the Washington-based Democracy Forward Foundation (DFF), seeks to compel the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to release records, including communications between Trump administration officials on the Epstein matter, any correspondence between Trump and Epstein, and a list of Epstein's alleged clients. The foundation has linked its request to several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) applications, urging expedited processing. It said the documents were of "widespread and exceptional media interest" and raised "possible questions about the government's integrity that affect public confidence." It also cited urgency following Trump's refusal to rule out clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's convicted associate. Among the materials sought are documents prepared for former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi concerning Epstein, including the alleged client list she once said was on her desk but later claimed did not exist. Chutkan has also presided over cases challenging the DOJ's authority and recently ruled against the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to withhold grant funding.
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
China wants US to ease AI chip restrictions before possible Trump-Xi summit
BEIJING, Aug 10 — China wants the United States to ease export controls on chips critical for artificial intelligence as part of a trade deal before a possible summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. Chinese officials have told experts in Washington that Beijing wants the Trump administration to relax export restrictions on high-bandwidth memory chips, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter. The White House, State Department and China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report. HBM chips, which help perform data-intensive AI tasks quickly, are closely watched by investors due to their use alongside AI graphic processors, particularly Nvidia's. The FT said China is concerned because the US HBM controls hamper the ability of Chinese companies such as Huawei to develop their own AI chips. Successive US administrations have curbed exports of advanced chips to China, looking to stymie Beijing's AI and defence development. While this has impacted US firms' ability to fully address booming demand from China, one of the world's largest semiconductor markets, it still remains an important revenue driver for American chipmakers. — Reuters
