The deadline that the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group gave the Colombian government to unblock the peace negotiations ends this Friday without a solution in sight for the crisis that the dialogue table is experiencing. which has been in a state of freezing since May.
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After the bilateral ceasefire ended on August 3 without being renewed, the ELN expressed its “provision” to wait until today for the Colombian government to publish a decree to remove this guerrilla group from the list of organized armed groups (GAO).
However, sources from that armed group assured EFE today that they are waiting for a statement from the Government and that Perhaps the guerrilla leaders will manifest themselvesso they assured that for now the “freezing” of the negotiations.
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Tug and pull
Uncertainty has marked the roadmap of negotiations in recent weeks, in which There has been a tug of war between the parties without any concrete public progress. The Government, which is betting on staying at the negotiating table at all costs, presented the guerrillas with a “confidential proposal” to advance the dialogues.
However, the ELN assured that the offer, which President Gustavo Petro later revealed was related to a “economic reform”, It is not necessary at this time in the peace negotiations, because the guerrilla believes that it is required “frankness and clarity to the country”. “We cannot be offered something that has already been agreed upon, and even less so delay the fulfillment of the agreements”said the ELN.
Given this situation, left-wing senator Iván Cepeda, who is part of the negotiating team, said that “The ELN has to tell the country now what to do”because the Government has been “clear” and their “positions have been absolutely transparent.” “There is talk of non-compliance, but the worst of the non-compliances, it must be said here, is having frozen the table. That is a flagrant non-compliance with our commitment and even more so on the verge of renewing the ceasefire. There is no argument that we consider valid for this attitude of suspension, delay of the conversations.”the senator added last week.
Ivan Cepeda
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Guerrilla demands
Last May, this guerrilla group set four conditions to remain on the table: withdrawal of the ELN from the list of organized armed groups (GAO), materialization of a fund to finance itself in exchange for ceasing extortionate kidnapping, suspension of the Government’s approaches to the Comuneros del Sur front (a split from the guerrilla) and the end of offensive operations by the State security forces.
The head of the Government’s negotiating team, Vera Grabe, said last week that “The ELN has responded publicly, making claims to the Government for non-compliance that are not true.”
For now, the crisis at the negotiating table remains, awaiting the dialogue between the government and the guerrillas leading to an end to the freeze and the resumption of the bilateral ceasefire.
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EFE
