The Colombian government and the guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN) resume their negotiations this Monday, February 13 in Mexico City to try to reach a ceasefire despite recent tensions between the two parties.
“
We are ready!
“, declared in a press release the representatives of President Gustavo Petro, ex-guerrilla and first leftist president in the history of Colombia.
Ambition of Gustavo Petro: "complete and definitive peace"
This second round of negotiations is part
of "the construction of complete and definitive peace
" in Colombia, added the government delegation.
“
We hope that the work of this second cycle will be effective progress and support for the peace process in Colombia
,” declared the head of the ELN delegation, Pablo Beltran, on Saturday arriving in Mexico City.
Read alsoColombia: the government wants to “concentrate” in certain regions the armed groups in negotiation
Several countries have acted as guarantors (Chile, Venezuela, Norway and Mexico), "
and more recently Brazil
", according to the government press release.
European countries “
accompany
” the dialogue (Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Spain) as do the Secretary General of the United Nations and the Episcopal Conference of Colombia, from the same source.
Negotiations between the government and the last major guerrilla formed as such in Colombia resumed in November in Caracas, after nearly four years of suspension.
The first round ended in December with the announcement of the release of hostages and humanitarian actions, but without a ceasefire agreement.
Fragile ceasefire
Violence and tensions have cooled relations between the two parties since the beginning of the year.
Nine suspected ELN members were killed by the army during an offensive, the army said on January 30.
On New Year's Day, President Petro announced a six-month ceasefire with five armed groups and drug gangs, including the ELN.
Three days later, the ELN denied any ceasefire with the government, which suspended its ceasefire with the guerrillas three days later.
Last great guerrilla
The ELN is the last major guerrilla still active in Colombia since the Farc signed a peace agreement in 2016. It was founded in 1964 by trade unionists and students sympathizing with Ernesto “Che” Guevara, of the
Cuban
revolution , and liberation theology.
The guerrillas have some 3,500 fighters and a vast network of collaborators, according to independent estimates.
It operates in at least 22 of Colombia's 32 departments, and profits from drug trafficking and illegal mining.
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