Not only this, but the cartels are literally shooting at government armed forces and effectively able to keep them at bay (hell, this even happens in Mexico). I

Not only this, but the cartels are literally shooting at government armed forces and effectively able to keep them at bay (hell, this even happens in Mexico). I did say >>> The cartels are big enough that the government can't fight them First of all Colombia is not Mexico. Cartels have a much stronger presence there since they are the ones making most of the money from the drug trade, which comes from smuggling. My understanding of the drug trade that remains in Colombia is that there is a lot of volume of production but the profits are much smaller for those that run the trade relative to Mexico and relative to the 1980s. They are often not cartels as much anymore: they are the FARC and other militarized groups. Take your argument and instead apply it to gangs in the united states. They shoot at cops sometimes, and they are still around despite attempts to get rid of them. Does that make them more powerful than the government? It's not so much that gangs are so large and powerful that the government that they can't fight them. It's more what you are pivoting to now which is that it is possible to wage asymmetrical conflict long after losing the upper hand.