Colombia, ELN rebels resume peace talks in Mexico
Talks take place amid tensions between government and ELN after president Petro called off bilateral ceasefire
Peace talks between Colombian Government and National Liberation Army in Mexico City
BOGOTA, Colombia
The Colombian government and the leftist National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group resumed peace talks in Mexico City on Monday, ending the disagreement that arose when President Gustavo Petro declared a ceasefire that was denied by the guerrilla group.
The Colombian government was forced to call off a New Year’s Eve announcement that a truce had been reached after the guerrilla group denied that any such agreement of a bilateral ceasefire existed.
Petro, a former member of the M-19 guerrilla group, has promised to end nearly 60 years of war achieving a “total peace” by negotiating peace with the ELN, the largest remaining rebel group, and other illegal armed groups that are active in the country.
The ELN delegation arrived on Saturday, while the Colombian government delegation arrived on Sunday.
Mexico´s Foreign Minister, Marcelo Ebrard, was in charge of inaugurating the second cycle of talks.
Chief government delegate Otty Patino said at the opening ceremony that a ceasefire should not only mean "a decrease in armed confrontations" but also "a reduction in hostilities against the civilian population and illegal activities."
Pablo Beltran, head of the ELN delegation, said that the rebel groups seeks “to put an end to the armed conflict and achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace".
The negotiations do not mean a suspension of military operations against the rebels, Colombia’s Defense Minister, Ivan Velasquez, warned on Monday.
Peace negotiations with the group began in 2017 in Quito during the government of Juan Manuel Santos. Talks were suspended by former President Ivan Duque in January 2019, a day after the group carried out a bombing in a police academy in Bogota that killed 21 police officers.
