Colombia’s government suspends peace talks with ELN

ELN sign at the National University in Bogota (Image: Parker Crooks)

Negotiators of Colombia’s government suspended peace talks with guerrilla group ELN in response to an attack that killed two soldiers and injured 25.

In a statement, the negotiators said that the peace talks’ “viability is severely damaged, and their continuity can only be recovered with an unequivocal manifestation of the ELN’s will for peace.”

During these months the Government has made multiple proposals to the ELN. Today the dialogue process is suspended. Its viability is severely damaged, and its continuity can only be recovered with an unequivocal manifestation of the ELN’s will for peace.

Peace negotiators

ELN commander “Antonio Garcia” said in a response that “even in the midst of military operations, peace process can continue.”

Neither Garcia nor his insurgent organization immediately claimed responsibility for the deadly attack on an army base in Arauca.

Even in the midst of military operations, peace processes can be continued; this has been done at various times by different governments, and now cannot be the exception.

Antonio Garcia

The guerrilla attack and subsequent suspension of talks come half a year after tensions between the two warring parties bogged down progress.

Consequently, the government and guerrilla negotiators failed to come to an agreement on the extension of a ceasefire that expired in August.

Particularly in Arauca, a province with significant ELN activity, the end of the ceasefire led to a surge in attacks on oil pipelines that were attributed to the ELN.

The peace talks with the ELN were formally kicked off by former President Juan Manuel Santos in 2017 and first suspended by former President Ivan Duque in response to an attack on Bogota’s police academy in 2019.

Petro resumed the talks in November 2022 as part of his “Total Peace” policy, which seeks the demobilization of multiple groups that have remained in arms after the demobilization of paramilitary organization AUC in 2004 and a peace deal with guerrilla group FARC in 2016.

 

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