Colombian Gulf Clan Announced Cessation of Hostilities After Petro’s Swearing In - Reports

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - The largest drug gang in Colombia, the Gulf Clan (Clan del Golfo, also known as Gaitanist Self-Defense Forces of Colombia), has announced a unilateral cessation of offensive hostilities as a gesture of goodwill to the new government and determination to join the peace process, RCN Radio reports.

"We have the best will to join the exploratory peace talks that Gustavo Petro announced after his election. We believe that it is the best decision for the forgotten Colombia that we represent," the Gulf Clan said in a Sunday statement, as quoted by RCN.

According to the statement, the Gulf Clan hopes that August 7 will become the start of "a new era" for Colombia and, as a gesture of goodwill with the government of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, it announced a unilateral ceasefire.

Petro, 62, took the presidential oath and was sworn in in a ceremony at Bolivar Square in Colombia’s capital, Bogota, on Sunday. A former guerrilla and ex-mayor of Bogota, he is the first leftist leader in Colombia’s modern history. He has promised to solve the problem of poverty and to redistribute the tax burden on more affluent residents.