Colombia's De la Espriella lifts decade-old ban on carrying legal guns

September 9, 2026 at 04:01 PM2 min

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Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella signed a decree lifting a decade-old suspension on carrying legal firearms in public. The move fulfills a campaign promise to let citizens defend themselves, affecting nearly 700,000 permit holders. Opposition Senator Ariel Ávila called the decision a grave error, warning legally held guns could end up with criminals.

Key Facts

The decree lifts a suspension in force since December 2015, when then-President Juan Manuel Santos imposed it as a temporary holiday security measure.
Nearly 700,000 Colombians with valid gun permits will now be able to carry their registered firearms in public without additional authorization.
President de la Espriella said security forces have seized more than 15,000 illegal firearms so far this year, mostly from Farc breakaway factions and the Gulf Clan.
Green Alliance Party Senator Ariel Ávila described the decree as a grave error, arguing legally held guns could end up in the hands of criminals.

Decree Details

The decree removes a restriction that required gun permit holders to obtain additional authorization before carrying their weapons outside their homes. The suspension was originally imposed by President Juan Manuel Santos in December 2015 as a temporary measure for the Christmas and New Year period. It was extended annually by Santos and his successors Iván Duque and Gustavo Petro, spanning opposing ends of the political spectrum. De la Espriella argued the restriction was never meant to be permanent and that tight controls on gun ownership remain in place.

Political Reaction

Senator Ariel Ávila of the Green Alliance Party called the move a grave error, saying only state forces should carry guns as guarantors of security. Ávila warned that legally held firearms could end up in the hands of criminals, creating an ethical dilemma. President de la Espriella rejected the criticism, saying the measure would not harm security and that forces were targeting illegal weapons. He said most of the more than 15,000 firearms seized this year belonged to Farc breakaway factions and the Gulf Clan criminal gang.