Colombia Suspends Ceasefire with FARC Dissident Faction

Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on Thursday the suspension of a ceasefire with a faction of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group, though he emphasized that peace negotiations would continue.

The dissident group, which broke away from FARC after its 2016 peace deal with the government, had been engaged in a temporary truce with Petro’s administration since December 2023. The agreement had been extended multiple times but expired earlier this week without a new deal finalized.

In a statement, Petro said he did "not extend the bilateral and temporary ceasefire with respect to the civilian population." However, he clarified that the decision does not signal an end to ongoing peace talks. Both sides now have 72 hours to relocate to secure zones under their own protection measures.

A Fragile Peace Process

The suspension marks another setback in Petro’s ambitious "Total Peace" policy, aimed at ending Colombia’s six-decade armed conflict, which has claimed over 450,000 lives. Since taking office in 2022, his government has engaged in negotiations with multiple armed groups, though progress has been slow.

This is not the first time Petro has suspended a ceasefire with FARC dissidents. In 2024, he halted agreements with factions of the group after fighters attacked an Indigenous community.

Leonardo González, director of the peace organization Indepaz, warned on social media that the collapse of the truce could reignite violence in historically conflict-ridden regions. "This represents a serious setback for communities in territories already suffering from weak institutional presence," he wrote, adding that social and economic programs in these areas could now be at risk.

Ongoing Challenges in Ending Conflict

The FARC-EP faction involved in the talks, estimated to have around 1,500 members, has yet to publicly respond to the ceasefire’s suspension. Meanwhile, another breakaway FARC faction remains outside negotiations, with the government intensifying military operations against its fighters in remote regions.

Colombia’s armed conflict continues to fuel cocaine trafficking and illegal gold mining, with leftist guerrillas and former right-wing paramilitary groups—now operating as criminal gangs—controlling much of the illicit trade.

Analysts say the latest development leaves peace talks in a precarious state, with the risk of renewed hostilities looming over vulnerable communities.