Cuba welcomed the agreements reached by the Government of Colombia and the guerrilla of the National Liberation Army (ELN) At the end of the first negotiation cycle in Caracas this Monday in the framework of the peace talks.
“Cuba welcomes the agreements reached by the delegations of the Government of Colombia and the ELN in the first cycle of the Peace Talks, which has just concluded,” wrote the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Minrex) from Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez, on his Twitter profile.
#Cuba welcomes the agreements reached by the delegations of the Government of Colombia and the ELN in the first cycle of the Peace Talks, which has just concluded.
We ratify, in our capacity as guarantor country, invariable commitment to peace in our sister nation. pic.twitter.com/cTkmoLGuf3
— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) December 12, 2022
The foreign minister also affirmed that Cuba ratifies, as a guarantor country in the peace negotiation process, the “invariable commitment to peace in the sister nation.”
Cuba played a crucial role in the peace process with the guerrilla group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)as it is one of the guarantor countries and the venue for the talks during the four years that the process lasted.
These negotiations ended with the signing on November 24, 2016 of the Peace Agreement between the Colombian government, then chaired by Juan Manuel Santos, and the insurgent group.
The parties had already announced a partial agreement that included three points, including emergency care that will begin in January 2023 for the Colombian towns of Bajo Calima, Valle del Cauca and Chocó.
Colombian government and ELN guerrillas announce first agreements after resumption of dialogue
They also agreed on a humanitarian emergency for a group of ELN political prisoners affected by the prison crisis in the South American nation, and announced that since August 7, the rebel group has released 20 people, including civilians and members of the public force. who were being held.
The special representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Carlos Ruiz Massieu, also congratulated the parties for the positive results of the first cycle of peace talks, reports Telesur television.
Through a statement, the UN representative praised “the hard work carried out in a constructive atmosphere” and asked Colombian society to support the process.
Mexico will host the second round of negotiations between the Colombian government and the ELN, which will resume next January.
Leopoldo De Gyves, Mexico’s ambassador to Venezuela, reiterated from Caracas his government’s willingness to support the “struggle for peace” which constitutes an “irrevocable State policy.”
“At the moment, the proposed dates are being analyzed, as well as the necessary requirements and logistical aspects so that said round can be carried out under the best conditions and guarantees,” said the diplomat, aforementioned by the Prensa Latina (PL) agency.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador accepted at the end of November the invitation to join the guarantor countries of the Colombian peace process.
Negotiations between the Colombian government and the ELN guerrilla had been frozen since 2018 by order of the country’s then president, Iván Duque. After winning the most recent elections and taking office as the new president, Gustavo Petro decided to resume dialogue.
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