De la Espriella lifts Colombia’s 10-year gun ban

Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella lifted a gun ban that had been in place since 2015.

According to De la Espriella, the decision seeks to give “good citizens” a way to defend themselves against “criminals.”

“For years, law-abiding citizens were restricted, while criminals continued to arm themselves to the teeth illegally. That has to change,” said the president on social media platform X.

99.9% of crimes committed with weapons are committed with unlicensed, illegal weapons. Anything said beyond the mathematics is just opinion. Mathematics is an exact science. So I am pleased to sign this decree.

President Abelardo de la Espriella

The president said that those who want to carry guns legally must comply with strict regulations and can’t have criminal records.

The ban reactivates previously approved gun licenses and allows citizens older than 25 to purchase approved hand guns from Colombia’s State military industry.

In order to be given a license, a potential gun owner must undergo fitness tests and convince the military authority that his position in society merits a firearm.

The decision has long been awaited by conservative and far-right elements in society, who have claimed that the gun ban made them sitting ducks for extortionists, particularly in the countryside.

Experts consulted by newspaper El Colombiano warned that lifting the gun ban could increase deadly violence, particularly considering Colombia’s violent history and evidence obtained in countries where guns are legal.

“There is no evidence showing that these countries have seen a decrease in theft, extortion, and threats following these measures,” said the director of the Central University’s Security Observatory, Andres Nieto. “On the contrary, the evidence does show an increase in violence among citizens,” the scholar added.

The ban was initially imposed by former President Juan Manuel Santos in 2015 and has since been upheld by his successors.

The post De la Espriella lifts Colombia’s 10-year gun ban appeared first on Colombia News.