Colombia ends decade-old public gun carry ban

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella relaxed gun carry laws on Tuesday, issuing a decree that he said ends a decade-old ban on carrying firearms in public places.

De la Espriella, who took office last month, said he wanted ordinary citizens to be able to defend themselves from “bandits armed to the teeth”.

He said existing restrictions on purchasing weapons would remain in place and that owners would still have to meet “physical, psychological, and emotional conditions”.

The right-wing president promised during his campaign to loosen Colombia's gun laws, despite warnings that the change could worsen violence in a country where at least a million people have been murdered during more than six decades of conflict.

Rifles, handguns and ammunition are widely available on the black market.

De la Espriella has declared war on Colombia's drug trafficking guerrilla groups, with US military support. His announcement came hours before a planned visit to Colombia by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.