The National Liberation Army and the Government of Colombia managed to straighten out the peace negotiations.
In an extraordinary meeting in Caracas, before the start of the second cycle of talks in Mexico, the discontent generated by a tweet launched by President Gustavo Petro on December 31 announcing a bilateral ceasefire was settled, on which still there are disagreements.
This Saturday, from La Casona, where they announced the start of the peace talks last October, they read a statement to which they named: successful balance.
They also reported that they will meet again on February 13 in Mexico, in a city that the hosts have not yet announced, with a priority on the agenda that is the participation of Colombian society in peace and "simultaneously, they will begin to to discuss and agree on a bilateral ceasefire”, according to what was written in the statement.
The representatives of the Colombian government and the ELN said that, after a moment of "momentary misunderstanding", they have managed to regain trust during the sessions held in the last five days in Caracas, at the Eurobuilding Hotel, no longer the luxurious, cold and secluded Humboldt , perched on top of Avila, which Venezuela arranged for the first talks.
"This extraordinary meeting contributed to ratify and strengthen the principles on which these dialogues are carried out: the agreements are to be fulfilled, bilaterality, political nature, mutual recognition, trust and good faith," says the statement read in front of the representatives of the countries and organizations guaranteeing the process: Venezuela, Cuba, Norway, Chile and Mexico and the United Nations and the Colombian Catholic Church.
Despite Petro's haste, the ceasefire discussion is just beginning.
And there is evidence of one of the main differences to settle to end the historical conflict with this guerrilla.
“It is a thousand times preferable to advance in negotiations where a de-escalation of the conflict comes out of to make a ceasefire automatically.
This is something that both delegations share, we must work on it and follow certain protocols.
The most substantial thing is the political discussion at the table,” said the former M-19 guerrilla, Otty Piñero, who is chief negotiator for the Petro government.
In a conversation with journalists, Pablo Beltrán highlighted the differences between the government's “total peace” proposal and the “peace with social justice” promoted by the ELN.
“There are two proposals that have to dialogue to find the common elements that will govern the table.
It is from this common idea of peace that the type of cessation will emerge.
The Government had the idea of a multilateral cessation, which we have not yet discussed or agreed with them.
In Mexico they will make an evaluation of the achievements and difficulties in the implementation of the advances achieved during the first cycle.
The delegations hope that Brazil will join as a companion, as the Colombian president requested of Lula Da Silva in the first days of January, and they hope that the United States will respond to the proposal made last year to join the process.
The ELN leader assured that the guerrilla does not have a binational character, in relation to the various complaints, including United Nations reports, that the group also operates in Venezuela.
“We are at the common border where there are binational communities, but the ELN is not a binational guerrilla, but a Colombian one, respectful of the Venezuelan state and community authorities,” he replied.
Regarding the presumed connection of the guerrillas with illegal mining businesses in Venezuela, he said: "I have seen some news, that over there in the state of Amazonas, but that has nothing to do with the ELN."
He said good afternoon and left.
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