The president of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, has signed this Tuesday a decree that lifts the generalized suspension of permits for the use of firearms in the Latin American country, although he has clarified that this does not imply “indiscriminate” use and that “strict” regulations on weaponry will remain in force.
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“A man’s word is his honor and I have honor. That is why I keep my word, and during the campaign I said I was going to lift the suspension of permits for carrying weapons. It is not right that bandits are armed to the teeth and decent people cannot defend themselves,” De la Espriella explained in a video shared on social media.
The president indicated that “99.9% of armed crimes are committed with ‘illegal’ weapons.” “The requirements to carry weapons remain very strict: people must meet physical, psychological, and emotional conditions, as well as have no criminal record or problems,” he detailed.
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De la Espriella pointed out that between January 1 and September 3, Colombian authorities have seized 15,700 firearms, of which “14,179 were related to the commission of crimes.” Additionally, he detailed that 980 weapons are linked to narco-paramilitary organizations: 551 to the Gulf Clan and 339 to the National Liberation Army (ELN).
“Just among those associated with the dissidents, we found 380 rifles and 65 mortars of 60 millimeter caliber,” the president specified in a message on social media, adding that authorities will take all weapons from criminal groups.
