2024-07-27 15:23:22
In a statement issued just days before the ceasefire expires, the National Liberation Army (ELN) has expressed serious doubts about the viability of the peace process with the government.
The guerrillas point to breaches by the Executive that have led to the freezing of the negotiation table for months. Among the most contentious points are the return of extortionate kidnappings, the multi-donor fund, and the dialogues with Comuneros del Sur in Nariño.
The ELN Central Command (COCE) stated that the peace process, initiated in 2012 under the Government of Juan Manuel Santoshas faced multiple obstacles. The guerrilla accuses the Government of Iván Duque of ignoring previous agreements and losing more than four years of progress. With the arrival of the current Government, adjustments were made to the existing agreements, seeking a political solution to the conflict that goes beyond the simple pacification of the guerrillas, proposing a model of “peace with transformations.”
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However, the ELN points out that since the signing of the Mexico Agreement in March 2023, opposition to the new model has been strong.Part of the government delegation refused to sign Agreement 28, arguing that they did not share the call to society to discuss changes in the political regime, the economic model, environmental policy, and education. According to the ELN, these transformations have been considered untouchable by the ruling elite.
The ELN statement also denounces that the Military Forces have intensified their attacks since the beginning of the Bilateral Ceasefire in August 2023. The guerrilla accuses the Government of infiltration and demobilization in Nariño, in contravention of the agreed protocols. He also mentions a campaign among ELN political prisoners to demobilize them in exchange for supposed legal benefits.
The ELN highlights that violations of the bilateral ceasefire include attacks in various regions, with greater intensity in the southwest, west, lower Cauca, northeast of Antioquia, south of Bolívar, and Arauca. The guerrillas say that these acts demonstrate a continuing objective of eliminating the ELN, undermining the will for peace and a political solution.
Finally, the ELN questions the seriousness of the Government in not complying with previous agreements, such as the exclusion of the name of organized armed group (Gao) agreed in December 2022. Despite complying with the agreed ceasefire and extending it, the ELN reiterates its discontent with the Government’s non-compliance, questioning the seriousness of new agreements if the previous ones are not respected.
“What guarantee of seriousness does a government deserve if it does not comply with what it agrees to? What sense does it make for the government to call on the ELN to sign new agreements if they do not comply with the previous ones?” the ELN questioned in its statement.
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