Colombia Formally Ends 'Total Peace': De la Espriella Closes Every Remaining Dialogue Table and Socio-Legal Space

September 11, 2026 — President Abelardo de la Espriella signed the resolutions formally terminating every remaining negotiation table and socio-legal conversation space of predecessor Gustavo Petro's 'Total Peace' policy, completing a wind-down that began at his August 7 inauguration. The closures cover the ELN dialogue table (revoking the government delegation led by Vera Grabe, María José Pizarro, Olga Lilia Silva and Iván Cepeda), the Comuneros del Sur front, the Magdalena Medio Blocks Command, the National Coordinator Bolivarian Army (CNEB), Sierra Nevada self-defense groups, Clan del Golfo, and socio-legal engagement spaces with urban criminal structures in Medellín, Quibdó and Buenaventura, and lifted the Temporary Location Zone at Valle del Guamuez. 'Fake peace is over,' de la Espriella wrote, adding: 'In my Government, criminals will not have political status, considerations or impunity. True peace is built with security, authority and justice.' The move follows his August 27 extradition order for five former Total Peace negotiators and the August 30 closure of the Calarcá dissident, Comandos de la Frontera and paramilitary tables, and marks the definitive end of the dialogue-based framework Petro launched in 2022 — replaced by de la Espriella's platform of military offensives and criminal prosecution.