De la Espriella, who ran on an "iron fist" security platform, declared he would suspend all ongoing dialogues between the current administration and armed groups. "The peace commissioner is finished because there will be no more false peace processes in my government", the president-elect stated. He vowed to focus on public security and dismantling what he called the "perverse system of impunity" in the country.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Peace, headed by Otty Patino, had been conducting talks with various armed groups, including the ELN guerrilla force and dissidents of the disarmed FARC. In June, De la Espriella gave these groups a one-month ultimatum to surrender, promising not to make "unacceptable concessions" like those he claims the outgoing administration offered. Experts note that Petro's peace efforts failed, with guerrillas allegedly using the talks to strengthen their positions. The peace office closure is part of a broader plan to eliminate over 200 presidential positions after De la Espriella takes office on August 7.

He has also announced the shutdown of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), established under Colombia's 2016 peace agreement with FARC to investigate war crimes from the group's half-century-long insurgency. During his campaign, De la Espriella proposed bombing campaigns against guerrillas and constructing "mega-prisons" modeled after those of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, signaling a dramatic shift away from negotiation toward military confrontation. (Nu)