The government of Colombia He admitted that the peace negotiations with the National Liberation Army (ELN) are in “a crisis situation” and asked that guerrilla group to say if it is using the talks to strengthen itself or if it has a real desire to put an end to the armed conflict.
The government’s chief negotiator, Otty Patiño, assured that there is “great questioning” about whether “the ELN is using the talks to strengthen itself in its territories, as an organization, or if, on the contrary, its stay at the table means a real vocation of peace”.
Patiño participated this Friday in a meeting called by the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, to evaluate the situation of the peace negotiations after the attack perpetrated last Wednesday by the guerrillas in the department of Norte de Santander that left nine soldiers dead and nine wounded. .
Despite this, the Government does not intend to get up from the negotiating table, which has already been held for two rounds, one in Caracas and another in Mexico City, and the third will take place after Easter in Havana.
In the attack with explosives and rifle shots in Guamalito, a corregimiento in the municipality of El Carmen (Norte de Santander), two non-commissioned officers and seven soldiers who were doing their military service died, and nine other soldiers were injured.
Petro calls for consultations with the government peace delegation after the ELN attack
political recognition
On the other hand, Patiño criticized the guerrilla that claims to be recognized as a political organization, a key point to be able to negotiate a peace agreement, but assured that this is something that is not only “written on paper” but that is fundamentally developed with ” attitudes and facts.
“Peace is the clearest demonstration (…) What is discussed and discussed at the table is the much clearer demonstration that it is a political organization or an organization that uses the political to strengthen itself in other aspects”, highlighted the government’s chief negotiator.
Along these lines, he assured that this is an issue that is being asked by the communities that the ELN “says it defends” and the international community that is supporting the peace process with “technical resources, political enlightenment and even financial resources.”
negotiating crisis
The High Commissioner for Peace, Danilo Rueda, revealed that the meeting this Friday took place because the negotiating table had “a setback and a crisis situation.”
Rueda pointed out that many communities are asking the ELN to “act in accordance with its political purposes and ideals” and added that “nothing justifies” with a ceasefire or without a ceasefire, “this type of situation that generates despair in Colombian society , but that in particular affect the inhabitants of all these territories who are fed up with violence.
Third cycle of the peace dialogue between Colombia and ELN will be in Cuba
“These communities have summoned the President of the Republic and the government peace delegation to develop a series of listening scenarios where they want to immediately share their concerns, their initiatives for peremptory and demanding humanitarian agreements from all parties, but in particular to the National Liberation Army,” he explained.
«It is not with more deaths of any Colombian, of any Colombian, that peace is consolidated. The National Liberation Army has in its hands an immediate responsibility to generate hope in Colombian society. We hope that they listen to the Colombian people, that they listen to the communities,” added Rueda.
