The Colombian government and the ELN The first round of peace negotiations closed this Monday in Caracas, with announcements of the release of hostages and humanitarian actions, but without agreeing to a ceasefire.
(They suspended arrest warrants for ELN negotiators: what’s next).
According to a joint statement, the parties “the first cycle of peace talks is successfully completed”, that will now move to Mexico on a date yet to be defined.
“The table resumes the process that was truncated in August 2018 and ratifies its decision to build on what has been built”, pointed to the text.
“This peace process in which the will and coherence of the parties is revealed as a light of hope in a world submerged in situations of war and destructive tension”, added.
The agreements reached in Venezuela go through resuming the agenda agreed in 2016when the negotiation process started, and adapted to the “new context”as well as an “institutionalization” of the table with regulations approved by the parties.
(Colombian government and ELN will re-establish dialogues from November).
They also contemplate “humanitarian actions and dynamics” in conflict-affected areas.
“The parties recognize the serious situation of violence that occurs in the territories and decided to implement a partial agreement for emergency care that will begin in January 2023 in Bajo Calima, Valle del Cauca, and Medio San Juan, collided”detailed the note.
It was also agreed “emergency humanitarian assistance to a group of political prisoners from the National Liberation Army” imprisoned.
The statement highlighted for its part that “Since August 7 to date, in a clear demonstration of its commitment to peace in Colombia, the ELN has released 20 people, including civilians and members of the public force.”
a cease fire “was not addressed”, said Pablo Beltrán, head of the guerrilla delegation. “We hope that this is a topic that we will address in the next cycle”, clarified.
Gustavo Petro reactivated contacts with the ELN upon assuming power on August 7. Negotiations were suspended in 2019 by his predecessor, Iván Duque, after an attack against a police school that left 22 dead, in addition to the attacker.
Founded in 1964 by unionists and students sympathetic to Ernesto “Che” Guevara and the Cuban revolution, the ELN is the last recognized guerrilla group in Colombia. He has held unsuccessful negotiations with the last five presidents of that country.
AFP
