Petro said Mexican cartels control Colombia’s armed groups; experts say otherwise

As Colombia experiences new waves of armed battle, President Gustavo Petro has more and more pointed the finger at an unlikely actor: Mexican cartels.

In a number of statements in latest months, the chief has recommended that Mexican teams are the “present boss” of the ELN, that they “give the directions” to armed teams, and that they management battle areas by “non-public armies.”

To analyze the veracity of Petro’s claims, Latin America Reviews spoke to specialists on transnational hyperlinks between Mexican cartels and Colombian armed teams.

Petro’s claims come as violence flares within the northeast Catatumbo area, displacing some 50,000 individuals and killing not less than 80, and within the western Cauca division.

Mexican cartel presence in Colombia will not be new however the president’s allegations that teams just like the Nationwide Liberation Military (ELN) are taking orders from them is.

Nevertheless, the notion of a hierarchical relationship between these prison organizations is fake, in keeping with Elizabeth Dickinson, Senior Colombia Analyst at Disaster Group.

“It’s… not correct to say that there are Mexican teams on the bottom or that they’re directing the battle,” stated Dickinson.

As an alternative, the analyst described the dynamic as one among patrons and sellers.

“There’s actually no want for Mexican teams to have a presence in Colombia. As an alternative what they’ve are enterprise relationships and trusted envoys who set up the acquisition of medication from Colombia,” she defined.

In response to Dickinson, these envoys are often Colombians working for Mexican teams who negotiate on their behalf, agreeing to buy a specific amount of cocaine at a given high quality and value.

Henry Shuldiner, a researcher at crime suppose tank InSight Crime, additionally described the connection as primarily a enterprise one the place each events have a typical curiosity.

“These are two of the, , strongest prison organizations, arguably, on this planet, positively within the area, which can be each within the drug commerce,” stated Shuldiner, referring to the ELN and the Sinaloa Cartel.

Whereas the analysts problem Petro’s notion of a hierarchical relationship between cartels and Colombian teams, they however establish hyperlinks between the armed battle and Mexican organizations.

Dickinson defined that enterprise agreements to produce cocaine to Mexican cartels create an incentive for Colombian teams to keep up management of sure areas.

Shuldiner echoed this attitude, citing a monetary incentive for the battle. 

“They’ve an curiosity in securing these routes and this territory and preventing over it with different prison teams as a result of they wish to do enterprise with overseas drug trafficking organizations, merely put,” stated the researcher. 

However Shuldiner additionally made clear that whereas this market incentive could also be a element of the violence in Colombia, Petro’s suggestion that it’s in charge for the battle is unfounded.

“It’s very a lot a attain. To attempt to blame all of this violence in Colombia particularly on Mexican overseas prison teams is ridiculous,” he stated.

Plainly whereas Petro’s feedback touched on actual dynamics within the armed battle – the place teams compete for management of illicit economies that contain Mexican teams as patrons – the notion that these cartels give orders to Colombian teams is unfaithful.

Featured picture description: Gustavo Petro in Catatumbo.

Featured picture credit score: @infopresidencia by way of X.