Colombia’s longest-living rebel group ELN said Monday that they will resume kidnappings to sustain their guerrilla organization.
In a statement, the rebels said the government failed to create a so-called “fund that would allow them to sustain their organization through third-party donations.
To date, the Fund has not yet been established and the Government shows little willingness to move forward in this area. Given the above, the ELN terminates its offer of unilateral suspension of economic withholdings.
ELN
The ELN agreed to suspend kidnapping people for profit in December as part of ongoing peace talks with the government of President Gustavo Petro.
Colombia’s ELN guerrillas agree to suspend kidnappings
In a response, the government’s negotiators said that it did create the “Multi Donor Fund” and denied that this was done in return for the suspension of kidnapping as part of the December extension of a bilateral ceasefire.
It has always been made clear to the ELN that trade in human beings has no justification whatsoever and its end is not part of any transaction by the Colombian State. We hope that the ELN will keep its commitment to Colombian society and the international community and put an end to any form of kidnapping.
Government delegation
“The ELN has to take a serious decision in regards to the peace process,” said the government’s lead negotiator, Vera Grabe.
The ELN’s announcement further complicates the peace talks that, according to the guerrillas, had been put on hold because of Petro’s plans to also start negotiations with a dissident guerrilla unit from the southwestern Nariño province.
The president’s own delegates have also said that this plan was “unfeasible” and asked Petro to reconsider.
Colombia’s peace negotiators oppose talks with ELN dissidents
The peace talks with the ELN were formally started by former President Juan Manuel Santos in 2017 and suspended during the term of his successor, former President Ivan Duque.
Petro announced a resumption of the negotiation as part of his “Total Peace” policy, which seeks the demobilization and disarmament of multiple illegal armed groups.