Abelardo de la Espriella won the presidential election in June on a promise to be tough on crime Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has signed a decree which eases restrictions on people carrying legal firearms in public. De la Espriella, who during his campaign for the presidency promised to take an iron-fist approach to crime, said it was "not right that criminals are armed to the teeth while decent people can't defend themselves".
The decree lifts a suspension that had been in force for a decade, which meant that even those in possession of a permit to carry guns could not do so without additional authorisation. De la Espriella insisted that the decree would not create a free-for-all and that tight controls over who can own a gun would remain in place.
While signing the decree, the president said he had made good on his campaign promise: "A man's word is his honour, and I have honour, that's why I keep my word." The restriction on carrying legal guns in public was brought in by the then-President Juan Manuel Santos in December 2015. It was originally meant to be a temporary measure, aimed at improving security during the Christmas and New Year festivities.
But the suspension was extended yearly by Santos and two subsequent presidents from opposing sides of the political spectrum: conservative Iván Duque and left-wing Gustavo Petro. Under the law, even those with a permit to carry a gun could not take it out of their homes unless they applied for – and were granted – additional authorisation.
De la Espriella has insisted that his decree has removed a restriction which had never been meant to be permanent.