The guerrilla of the National Liberation Army (ELN), who is in peace talks with the Colombian Government, announced, this Monday, December 19, that it will decree a “unilateral ceasefire” between December 24 and January 2 “to create an atmosphere of peace on these dates“.
“The National Liberation Army remains committed to continue contributing to create an atmosphere of peace on these Christmas and New Year dates, therefore, it decrees a unilateral ceasefire“, explained the guerrilla in a brief statement.
(See: The achievements of the first cycle of peace talks between the Government and the ELN).
This ceasefire, which the guerrillas have decreed for the Christmas period during other peace processes, will govern “from 6 am on December 24, 2022 until 6 am on January 2, 2023“, according to the statement.
In any case, “Said ceasefire only covers the State Military and Police Forces“, specified a guerrilla when reading the statement on one of the ELN channels. And he also assured that reserve the right to defense “in case of being attacked”.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), The ELN is in open conflict with the paramilitaries of the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AGC) or ‘Gulf Clan’, especially in the Pacific Region, where a few days ago the guerrillas even declared an “armed strike” in the region of San Juan for the interference of this group in a territory that they control.
(See: ‘Shameful’: Minagricultura talks about food insecurity in the country).
“True peace requires more than words“said ‘Claudia Isabel M’, the guerrilla who read the communiqué.
The woman appears escorted by six other armed members of the ELN and with the red and black scarves of that guerrilla, and requests that the government also attack the paramilitary groups, which “They continue at ease throughout the national territory“.
Also in Arauca, on the border with Venezuela, which is one of its strongholds, since the beginning of 2022 the ELN has been facing a dissident front from the extinct FARC guerrilla, a war that has left more than 300 homicides, which has positioned this department as the one that registers the most murders this year.
(See: Reconstruction of homes in San Andrés due to Hurricane Iota is at 97%).
The ELN has already decreed on other occasions, while sitting at the negotiating table, a Ceasefire of these characteristics as a gesture of goodwill.
The last one that occurred was one of 102 days, between October 1, 2017 and January 2018.
However, it has also acted against this will, such as when on January 17, 2019, they attacked the General Santander Police Cadet School, in the south of Bogotá, which left more than twenty dead and meant the definitive lifting of the negotiating table.
However, a guerrilla delegation sat down again with another from the government in recent weeks, in Caracas (Venezuela), to try to reach some kind of peace agreement that ceases its activities.
(See: In 2023, special measures are extended for insolvency processes).
On December 12, the first round of talks in the Venezuelan capital ended with a joint declaration that avoided talking about ceasefires, but estimated that some “humanitarian relief” by the guerilla since January in the Valle del Cauca and Chocó, and the Government agreed to respond “of emergency to a group of political prisoners of the ELN“.
The next round of negotiations will take place, at the end of January 2023, in Mexico.
EFE
