Colombian government and Clan del Golfo resume peace talks after weeks-long standoff

The Government of Colombia and the Clan del Golfo reactivated peace negotiations after overcoming a crisis that threatened to break the process for good, after the drug trafficking group suspended talks in protest against agreements made by Colombian President Gustavo Petro with his American counterpart, Donald Trump.

The rift came after Petro pledged during a visit to the White House on Feb. 3 to collaborate with the United States in locating "Chiquito Malo," the top commander of Clan del Golfo.

The commitment generated strong rejection from the armed group, which abandoned the talks that had been taking place since September in Doha, Qatar, alleging that the agreement undermined its "good faith" in the peace process.

However, the government's peace office confirmed Tuesday that the negotiators held a meeting in Bogotá on Feb. 9 and managed to overcome the hiatus.

"The peace process is ongoing," indicated the group in a statement.

List of drug traffickers and cooperation with the U.S.

As part of the bilateral rapprochement between the U.S. and Colombia, Petro gave Trump a list of the main drug trafficking bosses in Colombia, with the aim of receiving support from U.S. intelligence services for their capture.

Among the names included were "Chiquito Malo," "Iván Mordisco" leader of the largest FARC dissidence group, and "Pablito," one of the main ELN commanders on the border with Venezuela.

The decision was interpreted by Clan del Golfo as a contradictory signal in the midst of a process aimed at disarmament in exchange for legal benefits.

In a previous statement, the group accused the president of putting "personal interests" before the search for peace in the territories.