Peace talks between Colombia’s government with a faction of guerrilla group EMC have become uncertain after the arrest of multiple unit commanders.
Tuesday’s surprise arrests came two weeks after peace negotiator Camilo Gonzalez announced the resumption of peace talks and the extension of a ceasefire with a dissident faction of the EMC.
Colombia resumes peace talks with dissident EMC faction
According to Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez, the EMC representatives were detained at a military checkpoint in Cisneros, a town in the northwestern Antioquia province.
The guerrilla leaders had been traveling from the Catatumbo region in the northeast in armed cars that had been provided by the National Protection Unit to allow them safe passage to and from peace talks.
Among the detained EMC commanders was Alexander Diaz, a.k.a. “Calarca,” the alleged leader of the EMC dissidents and the commander of their Magdalena Medio Bloc.
Calarca and “Darlinson,” the political representative of the 36th Front, were immediately released after the prosecution confirmed that their arrest warrants had been suspended for the peace talks.
EMC negotiator Andrey Avendaño, who was not with his comrades, said in a video that the guerrillas had requested the suspension of their representatives’ arrest warrants on May 17.
Arrested guerrilla representatives
- Erlinson Echavarria, a.k.a. “Ramiro”
Commander of the 18th Front (Magdalena Medio Bloc) - Edgar de Jesus Orrego, a.k.a. “Firu”
Commander of the 36th Front (Magdalena Medio Bloc) - Omar Delgado Novoa, a.k.a. “Hermes”
Representative of the John Linares Front (Jorge Suarez Bloc) - Diana Carolina Rey, a.k.a. “Erika”
Representative of the Carolina Ramirez Front (Raul Reyes Bloc) - Juan Antonio Agudelo Salazar, a.k.a. “Urias Perdomo”
Representative of the Rodrigo Cadete Front (Jorge Suarez Bloc) - Wenser Yosony Duque, a.k.a. “Oliver Gonzalez”
Representative of the Raul Reyes Bloc - Maria Alejandra Ojeda Londoño
Role unknown
In an interview with Caracol Radio, Avendaño said on Wednesday that the EMC had yet to formulate an official response to the detention of their leader and the arrests of their delegates.
