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Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has signed an executive decree that officially eases longstanding restrictions on carrying legally registered firearms in public spaces. The measure marks a decisive shift in Colombia's domestic security policy by dismantling a regulatory framework that had effectively barred licensed firearm owners from taking their weapons outside their homes for nearly a decade.
The head of state, who secured the presidency in June after campaigning on an uncompromising platform to tackle crime through an iron-fist approach, defended the regulatory change as a necessary correction for law-abiding citizens. In remarks addressing the policy shift, de la Espriella argued that the previous system left decent individuals unable to protect themselves while criminal groups operated with extensive arsenals.
During the signing ceremony, the president framed the decision as the fulfillment of a central campaign pledge made to the electorate. Reaffirming his personal commitment to the mandate on which he was elected, de la Espriella declared that a man's word constitutes his honor, stressing that upholding his promises remained a guiding principle of his administration.
The executive action is set to have an immediate effect on hundreds of thousands of licensed gun owners throughout the country. Citing figures published by the Spanish newspaper El País, the decree impacts nearly 700,000 individuals across Colombia who already hold legal permits to carry firearms, allowing them to carry registered weapons publicly as long as their licenses remain current.
The nationwide suspension on carrying legally owned firearms outside the home was first established in December 2015 under then-President Juan Manuel Santos. At the time of its introduction, the ban was intended purely as a temporary measure designed to curb violent crime and bolster public safety during the busy Christmas and New Year holiday celebrations.
Despite its initial short-term designation, the ban remained active for ten years through continuous administrative renewals. Successive Colombian leaders from across the political spectrum kept the restriction in place, with annual extensions signed by Santos, conservative former President Iván Duque, and left-wing former President Gustavo Petro.
Under the ten-year suspension, holding a standard permit to own or carry a weapon was not enough to legally transport a firearm in public areas. Even certified license holders were required by law to keep their weapons locked in their private residences unless they submitted formal applications and secured exceptional, additional authorization from state authorities.
President de la Espriella defended the rollback by stating that his decree simply dismantles an emergency directive that was never intended to become permanent policy. He argued that extending a temporary measure over ten years had created an unfair administrative hurdle for responsible gun owners who had already complied with strict licensing protocols.
Addressing concerns raised by critics, de la Espriella insisted that removing the carriage ban would not create an unregulated environment or trigger an uncontrolled influx of firearms into public life. The president emphasized that the stringent legal criteria, background checks, and regulatory standards required to acquire and legally maintain a firearm license in Colombia remain fully in force.
The decree has nevertheless drawn strong opposition from political rivals and legislative critics who caution against the proliferation of firearms in society. Green Alliance Party Senator Ariel Ávila sharply criticized the policy change, characterizing the decision to relax public carry rules as a grave error that could destabilize public safety.
Senator Ávila raised significant security and ethical concerns regarding the move, arguing that expanding the public presence of registered firearms significantly increases the danger that legal weapons will eventually end up in the possession of criminals. Furthermore, the senator contended that state security forces alone must hold the responsibility to carry firearms and serve as the sole guarantors of citizen safety.
In response to the pushback, the president maintained that granting legal gun owners the ability to carry their registered weapons would not harm Colombia’s broader security environment. De la Espriella insisted that national stability would remain intact as security agencies continue to focus their efforts on targeting illicit armed networks rather than licensed civilians.
To support his administration’s security credentials, de la Espriella emphasized that Colombian state forces are actively targeting the black-market weapons trade. According to official figures cited by the president, security personnel have confiscated more than 15,000 illegal firearms across the country since the beginning of the year.
The president noted that the vast majority of these seized illegal weapons were recovered directly from organized violent groups operating throughout the nation. These illegal arsenals belonged primarily to members of dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) and operatives from the Gulf Clan criminal organization.
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