The National Government announced that the peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN) “are suspended” following the attack committed by the armed group against an Army military base in the department of Arauca. The attack left two dead and 27 wounded. The deceased soldiers were identified as Julian Patiño Arango and Bayron Andres Correa Vargas.
On the day of the attack, Gustavo Petro said that what happened “is practically an action that closes a peace process with blood.” However, he had not confirmed the cessation of dialogue. The confirmation comes from the Executive Peace Delegation.
“We deeply regret the loss of the victims and the wounded members of the Public Force. We share the pain of their families in the face of this new act of violence that claims the lives of young Colombians.”stated the Peace Delegation.
(Read: This was Petro’s visit to the soldiers injured in the ELN attack)
Although the process is suspended, The National Government assured that the possibility of resuming dialogues in the future is not ruled out. “For months the Government has sent the ELN multiple proposals. 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.”
President Gustavo Petro
EFE
The attack was condemned on Tuesday, September 17 by President Gustavo Petro, who stated: “The consequences of actions and the flow of history today bring us a dramatic event, repeated in our last years, a dump truck loaded with explosives that injured 27 young people and killed two, according to the information I have, placed by the ELN with whom we were talking about peace.”.
(Read: Petro on ELN attack: ‘It is an action that closes a peace process with blood’)
And although his statements hinted at his intentions to end the process, the news was only confirmed by the Peace Delegation on the evening of Wednesday, September 18.
LOREN BUITRAGO
PORTFOLIO
