The president of Colombia announced a six-month ceasefire with the rebels Israel today

The new year opened with cautious optimism in the South American country after President Gustavo Petro announced the unusual political move: a ceasefire with the rebels of the National Liberation Army (ELN) and four other armed groups that did not enter into the 2016 peace accords with their counterparts from the FARC.

"We have agreed to a bilateral ceasefire with the ELN, the Segunda Mercatalia, the Central General Staff, the AGC, and the Sierra Nevada Self-Defense Forces from January 1 to June 30, 2023, to be extended depending on the progress of the negotiations," the president said Morning (Sunday).

"This is a bold act. The bilateral ceasefire requires the armed organizations and the state to respect it. There will be a national and international verification mechanism," he added.

We have agreed a bilateral truce with the ELN, the Segunda Marquetalia, the Estado Mayor Central, the AGC and the Sierra Nevada Autodefensas from January 1 to June 30, 2023, extendable according to progress in the negotiations.

Total peace will be a reality.

— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 1, 2023

This is a significant step and a continuation of securing elections on the part of the 62-year-old Petro, a former guerrilla fighter himself, who together with a progressive leftist coalition defeated the conservative candidate Rodolfo Hernandez with 50.4 percent of the votes last May.

Fulfilled the election promise, Petro, photo: AFP

Among the supervisors of the peace process that was forged are the Catholic Church and the United Nations (UN), whose representative welcomed the historic announcement and said that "the UN supports all efforts aimed at reducing violence in the territories, protecting the communities affected by the conflict and building peace in Colombia."

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