Colombia's Attorney General Refuses to Suspend Clan del Golfo Arrest Warrants; U.S. Cites Terrorist Designation

Colombia's Attorney General's Office publicly refused to comply with the Petro government's directive to suspend arrest warrants for 29 Clan del Golfo (AGC/Ejército Gaitanista de Colombia, EGC) leaders as part of Total Peace negotiations. The AG argued executive decrees cannot override judicially-issued criminal warrants, triggering a direct constitutional confrontation. The U.S. Embassy simultaneously reminded Bogotá that Washington designates the AGC as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and cannot support agreements shielding designated terrorist leaders from prosecution. In April 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice had filed a fifth superseding indictment in the Eastern District of New York against AGC leader Jobanis de Jesús Ávila Villadiego ('Chiquito Malo'), adding narcoterrorism and material-support charges — signaling sustained U.S. legal pressure regardless of Colombian peace talks.