President Juan Manuel Santos announced on Monday that the peace process with the ELN, Colombia’s second largest rebel group, will remain confidential until there is something concrete to announce.
President Santos stated that these processes are “complicated” and “have their stages.”
Colombian media and society has not heard much about the ongoing peace talks with the ELN rebel group because they are still in very early stages of setting an agenda and conditions.
The secrecy behind the peace process with the ELN is no different than what was done with the FARC rebels that only became public when both delegations announced the agenda.
Santos announced the ELN peace talks during days before the presidential elections in June, but has since barely talked about it.
MORE: Colombia govt, ELN rebels announce formal peace talks
President Santos also requested that government officials remain silent regarding the ELN peace talks.
The leader of FARC, ‘Timochenko’, reportedly paid a visit to the ELN peace delegation led by Nicolas Bautista, in a controversial trip that the FARC commander made to Cuba to strengthen the peace process of both groups, according to Las Dos Orillas.
MORE: FARC leader ‘Timochenko’ visited Colombia’s peace talks in Cuba