Mid‑June, 99 former guerrilla fighters were flown by helicopter to a small settlement in southern Colombia, where they handed their weapons to government officials and burned their uniforms. The disarmament took place three days before the presidential runoff, which was won by far‑right lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, who has promised to end the “total peace” strategy. The fighters are now in a government‑run transition zone known as the Zonal Unit for Transition (ZUT), where they are under surveillance, unable to leave, and provided three meals per day. No weapons are allowed inside the zone, and soldiers guard it from a perimeter of less than a mile.

The ZUT was created under President Gustavo Petro’s “total peace” plan to negotiate disarmament of an estimated 30,000 members of Colombia’s criminal groups. The 99 fighters are part of the National Coordinator of the Bolivarian Army (CNEB), a dissident faction of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia with about 2,500 members, most of whom remain armed.

Armando Novoa, a former official who led negotiations with the group, said the worst‑case scenario would be for the new government to close the ZUT, launch a military operation and attempt to capture or kill the unarmed individuals. He described that action as a potential crime against humanity. Paula Tobo, senior researcher at the Ideas for Peace Foundation, said the decision was rushed and placed the fighters in legal limbo because their protection rests on decrees that can be revoked and there is no legislation governing their transition to civilian life.

The former president’s decree establishing the ZUT expires on 25 December; the new president could revoke it at any time. Financial support of about £425 per month has not yet been disbursed, and some of the former fighters are planning to start a chicken‑raising business. The group has written a letter to President de la Espriella reaffirming its commitment to peace and inviting him to visit the ZUT, but no response has been received.