Detailed view of the Colombia's Presidency headquarters inside Army's Paraiso batallion ahead of the meeting of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella in Barranquilla, Colombia on September 8, 2026. (Photo by Luis ACOSTA / AFP)
Bogotá: Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella relaxed firearm carrying restrictions on Tuesday, arguing the measure is necessary to allow ordinary citizens to defend themselves against "bandits armed to the teeth."
De la Espriella, who took office last month, has declared war on Colombia's myriad drug trafficking guerrilla groups, with US military support.
On the campaign trail he promised to loosen Colombia's laws on guns, despite warnings it could worsen violence in a country where at least a million people have been murdered during more than six decades of conflict.
The president said he had issued a decree ending a decade-old ban on people carrying firearms in public places.
"There's no justification for criminals being armed to the teeth while innocent people cannot defend themselves," he said in a video posted on X.
He said that the current restrictions on purchasing weapons would continue to apply, with owners required to meet "physical, psychological, and emotional conditions."
