Her government Colombia recognized the ELN as an “armed political rebel organization”, a gesture welcomed on Saturday by the group, as he characterized it as a necessary condition for the continuation of the peace process which was restarted by the initiative of the social democrat president Gustavo Petros, the first in the history of Colombia, who belongs to the left.
The ELN had threatened to end all negotiations if it was not recognized with this status, which separates it from other armed groups, particularly those of the once far-right paramilitaries turned drug-trafficking gangs, with which Mr. Petros’ government he is also talking, as part of his venture to ensure “complete peace”.
The rebel organization expressed via Twitter its satisfaction with the “agreement” reached on “issues without which it would be impossible to develop this peace process clearly and solidly”, more specifically “the legal designation of the ELN as an armed political rebel organization”.
The delegations also agreed to establish a communication channel to operate when talks break down during the current round of negotiations, which began on February 13 in Mexico with guarantor powers Chile, Venezuela, Norway, Brazil and the host country. The main item on the agenda is the declaration of a mutual ceasefire.
The National Liberation Army, inspired by Che Guevara’s work and liberation theology, is officially designated as the last guerrilla organization continuing the armed struggle in Colombia. The organization’s peace negotiations with the government resumed in November 2022, after a four-year hiatus.
President Petros, who himself was a youth rebel of the M-19 movement, announced on New Year’s Day that a truce was being declared with five armed organizations, including the ELN, but the latter’s leadership denied that the presidential announcement was about him.
In late January, Colombian army forces killed nine suspected ELN rebels.
Mr Petro, who took office in August 2022, aspires to “complete peace” in Colombia following negotiations with all the armed groups operating in the country, which are almost always involved in drug trafficking.
Source: News Beast
With 6 years of experience, I bring to the table captivating and informative writing in the world news category. My expertise covers a range of industries, including tourism, technology, forex and stocks. From brief social media posts to in-depth articles, I am dedicated to creating compelling content for various platforms.
