“The delegations agreed on issues without which it is impossible to develop this peace process with clarity and firmness: the juridical-legal characterization of the ELN as a rebellious armed political organization with which the national government advances in peace dialogues,” the ELN said in a statement. spread on Twitter.
The announcement follows criticism from the National Liberation Army (ELN) of Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s “total peace” policy, which he considers puts the organization on the same level as other armed groups, including drug traffickers, to whom the government offers a process. of subjection to justice in exchange for legal benefits.
Antonio Garca, one of the leaders of the group, warned on February 6th that if the ELN continued to be considered GAO (organized armed group), the negotiations would continue at the deadlock where they were left by former president Ivn Duque.
“We salute the advances in the peace talks table between the government of the Republic of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (…) Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodrguez, citing the statement.
The delegates also agreed to create a communication channel, which will work while the dialogues are paused, as well as the terms under which the countries that will follow the negotiations will participate.
The Mexico round began on February 13 with the expectation of laying the groundwork for an eventual bilateral ceasefire, but the communiqué makes no mention of concrete advances in that regard. This issue strained the negotiations at the end of last year.
Founded in 1964, in the wake of the Cuban Revolution, the ELN is opposed to receiving the same treatment as other armed groups.
The ELN reported that the delegations are also working on an agenda on issues such as “society’s participation in this peace process and the bilateral ceasefire.”
After almost four years of suspension, the parties resumed negotiations last November, in Caracas, in search of agreements that would allow an end to the conflict with the last recognized guerrilla group in the country since the disarmament of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, Marxists ), in 2017.
Brazil, Chile, Venezuela, Norway and Mexico participate as guarantors of this second round of dialogues.
The first, which lasted 21 days, ended with announcements of the release of hostages and humanitarian actions, but without a ceasefire agreement.
However, the parties have had disagreements recently.
On January 1, President Petro himself, a former guerrilla of the 19th of April Movement (M-19), announced that his government had agreed to a six-month ceasefire with five armed groups, including the ELN.
However, three days later, the ELN denied having agreed a truce with the government.
Eventually, the Colombian government lifted the ceasefire it had declared, and on January 30, the Colombian army shot down nine suspected ELN rebels in an “offensive operation.” This was the hardest blow against this armed group since the peace dialogue table was set up with the Petro government.