Almost 700,000 Colombians who already hold permits will be able to carry registered firearms in public after President Abelardo de la Espriella signed a decree removing a restriction that had barred permit holders from taking guns out of their homes.
De la Espriella framed the move as delivering on his pledge to confront violent crime. He said it was "not right that criminals are armed to the teeth while decent people can't defend themselves" and warned the measure would not amount to a free-for-all, adding that strict controls on who may own a gun would remain in place.
The rule being overturned began in December 2015, when then-President Juan Manuel Santos introduced a temporary suspension on carrying guns in public for the holiday season. That suspension was renewed year after year by Santos and later by presidents Iván Duque and Gustavo Petro, creating a decade-long bar that required permit holders to apply for additional authorisation before taking a firearm outside their homes.
Spanish newspaper El País reported the decree will affect almost 700,000 people already authorised to carry weapons, who will be allowed to take their registered guns out of their homes provided their permits are current. De la Espriella has described the original restriction as never intended to be permanent and said the decree restores the prior legal status for permit holders.
Not all reaction was positive. Green Alliance Party Senator Ariel Ávila called the decision a "grave error," arguing that moving weapons into civilian hands risks them ending up with criminals and creates an ethical dilemma over whether only state forces should bear arms and guarantee security.
The president defended the policy shift by pointing to law enforcement operations against illegal arms. He said security forces had seized more than 15,000 firearms so far this year, and that most of those weapons came from breakaway factions of the Farc rebel group and the Gulf Clan criminal gang.
The decree removes the extra authorisation requirement and restores the ability of permit holders to carry in public, contingent on keeping permits up to date. The change fulfils a campaign promise by de la Espriella and sets the stage for a renewed political debate over civilian gun carrying and public security policy in Colombia.
