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Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has formally signed an executive decree that rolls back long-standing restrictions on carrying legally registered firearms in public spaces, fulfilling a cornerstone pledge of his security platform.
The move marks a significant departure from the firearms policies enforced by previous administrations over the past ten years. Under the newly enacted order, Colombian citizens who possess valid carrying permits will no longer be subjected to a blanket nationwide ban that previously prohibited them from taking registered weapons outside their private residences.
De la Espriella, who assumed office following his presidential victory in June on a staunchly tough-on-crime agenda, framed the regulatory overhaul as an essential measure of fairness for law-abiding individuals. During the signing ceremony, the president argued that the prior legal landscape left peaceful citizens vulnerable while criminal enterprises continued to obtain heavy arsenals unlawfully.
Addressing the public during the event, the head of state emphasized his commitment to the platform he campaigned on, framing the policy shift as a matter of personal integrity. He maintained that a person of honor must follow through on their commitments to the electorate, declaring that his administration would not abandon the rights of citizens to protect themselves.
According to figures published by the Spanish newspaper El País, the presidential decree directly impacts roughly 700,000 Colombians who already maintain authorized permits to carry firearms. These licensed individuals will be granted permission to transport their weapons in public environments, provided that their official documentation and registrations remain valid and up to date.
The sweeping carry suspension that was undone by this latest decree originally took effect in December 2015 under the administration of then-President Juan Manuel Santos. It was initially introduced as a temporary public safety intervention specifically designed to curb violent crime and enhance security during the Christmas and New Year holiday period.
Despite its temporary design, the suspension was renewed on an annual basis for nearly ten years, surviving transitions across vastly different ideological administrations. Conservative President Iván Duque and his leftist successor, President Gustavo Petro, both chose to prolong the restriction throughout their respective terms in power.
Throughout that decade-long timeframe, individuals holding legitimate carrying licenses were strictly barred from taking their weapons out of their homes unless they submitted specialized petitions and secured exceptional, case-by-case government authorizations.
In justifying the reversal, De la Espriella noted that his administration was merely removing an emergency mechanism that was never envisioned to serve as a permanent facet of the nation's legal framework. The president insisted that returning to standard licensing standards rectifies a prolonged regulatory overreach.
At the same time, the president sought to alleviate concerns regarding public order by clarifying that the decree does not establish an unregulated environment for firearms across the country. He underscored that rigorous vetting processes, strict background checks, and stringent ownership controls will continue to govern who can legally acquire a weapon in Colombia.
Nevertheless, the decree has drawn fierce condemnation from political opponents and security specialists. Green Alliance Party Senator Ariel Ávila publicly denounced the decision as a severe misstep, warning that increasing the presence of firearms on the streets presents acute dangers to public stability.
Ávila argued that loosening carry rules inevitably increases the likelihood that legally owned weapons will be stolen, lost, or redirected into the hands of illicit organizations. He also highlighted an underlying ethical standard, asserting that state institutions and official security forces must retain an exclusive mandate over armed protection rather than devolving security responsibilities to private individuals.
In response to the pushback, De la Espriella reiterated that the liberalization of carry rules for vetted permit holders would not compromise broader national security. The president maintained that law enforcement and military personnel are actively intensifying their operations against illegal armed actors who operate outside the law.
To demonstrate the state's focus on illicit weaponry, the president revealed that Colombian security personnel have confiscated more than 15,000 unauthorized firearms across the country so far this year.
Officials noted that the vast majority of those seized weapons were recovered during operations targeting organized syndicates, specifically dissident factions of the former FARC guerrilla movement and members of the Gulf Clan cartel.
The easing of carry rules represents one component of De la Espriella's broader security doctrine, which has prioritized aggressive offensives against insurgent commanders, heightened bilateral cooperation with international partners, and a strict law-and-order mandate across urban and rural Colombia.
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