Government denies having discussed “basic income” for ELN with cooperation resources, but admits that “it is a possibility going forward”

2023-06-16 19:21:10

The government of Gustavo Petro, through the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace, Danilo Ruedadenied this Friday that at the dialogue table he is holding with the National Liberation Army (ELN)has been treated or negotiated the proposal to allocate money from international cooperation for the maintenance of that guerrilla. The foregoing, as a supposed alternative to put aside activities such as the extortion or kidnapping.

“This issue has not been discussed at the Table of Peace Talks with that guerrilla. Therefore, on the particular there is no discussion or agreement between the parties that could be commented on by the National Government,” reported the Office of the High Commissioner, denying that there is an alleged multi-donor fund that would provide a basic income to the members of the ELN.

A on turn, from Germany, President Gustavo Petro also referred to the issue and assured that the multilateral fund depends on agreements to those who come to the negotiating table with this guerrilla, but for the moment it has not been touched on in the discussion.

“The multilateral fund is not a construction in the agreements, it is a possibility going forward and depends on the agreementsthe peace process with the ELN is progressive, That is why it is called a process, it does not occur at the same moment”said the head of state.

Previously, from Cartagena, at the Asobancaria congress, the fiscal general Francisco Barbosa launched against the proposal and warned that it is a “vaccine” against Colombians and a stimulus to crimeso he did not hesitate to describe it as “amazing”.

“We cannot understand those amazing proposals that have been made in recent days, and that I hope they’re not real what do you want establish not a subsidy for the ELN to stop committing crimes. It’s a vaccine against Colombians, a stimulus for criminality in different territories of the country”, claimed Barbosa.

According to Barbosa, if this proposal is successful Colombia would be a scenario where they would be publicly vaccinating. “It is unacceptable that resources are given to a criminal group to stop committing crimes. The only stimulus that has to exist against crime must be the strict application of the law, criminal sanctions, the search for security and justice in the country, otherwise we will end up misrepresenting constitutional values,” he said.

Just when one week has passed since the announcement of the bilateral cessation between the Government and the ELN, it was learned that the Executive would resort to money from international cooperation for the maintenance of the guerrilla. Apparently, according to guerrilla calculations, the monthly maintenance of between 4,000 and 5,000 of its members would require resources in the order of $3,000 million. For this reason, the Government would be looking for formulas so that, in exchange for them not continuing to commit crimes, it can subsidize them.

Last week, the subversives themselves – led by Pablo Beltrán, a member of the negotiating team and a member of the Central Command – admitted that, despite the ceasefire, they would continue to make “withholdings” as a way to survive and finance themselves.

“They will stay for now. The ELN’s financial operations began to be discussed here (in Cuba), but that discussion did not end. It will continue to be discussed, so they did not enter into these protocols. It is hoped that later it will (…) The analysis began (of the financing methods), it was not concluded. It will continue later on,” Beltrán recently assured.