Approximately 100 Colombian guerrilla dissidents surrendered their weapons in Putumayo, marking a step toward reintegration into civilian life under President Gustavo Petro's "total peace" policy. The group, a dissident faction of the FARC, will have their freedom restricted in a temporary resettlement zone.
This disarmament represents a small but concrete step in President Petro's ambitious 'total peace' initiative, aiming to demobilize numerous armed groups and reduce violence in Colombia, though broader success remains uncertain.
About a hundred members of a Colombian guerrilla dissident group surrendered their weapons on Thursday in the department of Putumayo, a move toward their reintegration into civilian life under President Gustavo Petro's "total peace" policy. The group, identified as the National Coordinating Committee of the Bolivarian Army and a dissident faction of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), formally placed their weapons on a table during a ceremony.
Following disarmament, the dissidents will enter a temporary resettlement zone where their freedom will be restricted and they will be under the control and supervision of authorities. Dissident leader Geovany Andrés Rojas, who is currently jailed on U.S. drug trafficking charges, stated that words are a more powerful weapon than the rifle. His arrest last year had previously undermined the confidence of the rank and file but did not derail the dialogue process.
President Petro, a former rebel leader, is pursuing parallel peace negotiations with multiple armed groups as part of his signature policy, though the effort has largely faced challenges. The dissident groups emerged from factions that did not accept the original peace agreement signed a decade ago with the FARC. According to a 2025 report by the Ideas for Peace Foundation, Colombia is estimated to have 27,000 illegally armed group members.
Last week, Petro established a monitoring mechanism for the temporary relocation zone and ordered the suspension of offensive military and special police operations to allow the dissidents to enter the designated area safely.