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Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro vowed to intensify operations against paramilitary organization EGC in response to the recent assassinations of 29 members of the security forces.

In a post on social media website X, Petro on Tuesday published the names of 15 policemen and 10 member of the military who were killed in the past two weeks.

At least four more security officials were assassinated in the Caribbean region, the home turf of the Gaitanista Army of Colombia (EGC), in the hours after Petro’s publication.

The wave of killings took place after security forces killed “Chirimoya,” one of the EGC’s top commanders, in the Cordoba province.

Police kill top EGC commander in northern Colombia

The EGC, “in response to the fall of several of their bosses, has decided to kill the sons of the people,” said Petro on Tuesday.

In the morning of Wednesday, the president said that “today there will be a special meeting to intensify the offensive against the Clan del Golfo,” the name used to authorities to describe the EGC.

The president also said that he had replaced the people in charge of the Caribbean’s container ports where the EGC and its organized crime associates control cocaine exports.

We will not retreat, we will intensify the offensive against the Clan. They have no way out, either they abandon illicit activity and recycle themselves in the process of prosperity in the regions under law and democracy, or we build the global alliance to destroy the Clan del Golfo. We will even reach their allies in Dubai.

President Gustavo Petro

In an attempt to increase the security of his men and women, the director of the National Police, General Carlos Fernando Triana, ordered commanders in the Caribbean region to allow that cops take home their service weapon.

The recent assassinations come after a government representative met with the EGC’s central command to discuss the possibility of talks that could lead to the demobilization, disarmament and reintegration of the paramilitary organization’s thousands of armed members.

Similar preliminary talks were held with the EGC’s main rival in the Caribbean region, paramilitary group ACSN from Santa Marta.

Both groups were formed by dissident members of the AUC during partially successful attempts to demobilize and disarm this paramilitary organization between 2003 an 2006.