The Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas agreed to hold an extraordinary meeting in Venezuela to try to resolve the growing tensions that have emerged over the past few days, threatening the peace talks that both parties are have brought into a phase “crisis” since last year.
The meeting, already confirmed by the ELN delegation, is scheduled for this Wednesday and is among the issues to be discussed, according to the guerrilla group “Create clarity to overcome the crisis that has arisen” and try to move towards “the harmonic continuity of the second cycle of talk”.
#THEN #Peace
We confirm. Extraordinary meeting with the Colombian government delegation starting next Wednesday, January 18th. Topics to be covered: Clarity to overcome the crisis that has arisen and the harmonious continuity of the second cycle.— ELN Delegation (@DelegacionEln) January 14, 2023
Tensions between the government and the guerrillas escalated after Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on December 31 that various irregular armed groups, including the ELN, They had agreed on a bilateral ceasefire as part of the process of bringing the country to the long-awaited “total peace”.
Almost immediately, the insurgent group denied having discussed the measure with the government and condemned the announcement what was agreed in December in Caracas, Therefore, they considered that the dialogue had reached a crisis. However, they said they would consider the proposal, but only during the second cycle of talks, scheduled to take place in Mexico in mid-February.
But tensions continued to escalate. Faced with the refusal of the armed group to cease hostilities, Petro issued a decree Resumption of military and police operations against the ELNwhich were suspended, and days later he issued an ultimatum.
What did the protagonists say?
«Or the way of Father Camilo Torres Restrepo or the way of Pablo Escobar‘ were Petro’s words to demand that the guerrillas decide where to move amid the tensions.
The President’s statement stemmed from a comment on Twitter following statements made by Colombian Congress President Roy Barreras, who had warned the insurgents about this an opportunity they couldn’t pass up and that would allow them to decide whether to go down in history as “the builders of peace” or “as a guerrilla who turned to drug trafficking and ended up bringing only pain, death, and kidnapping.”
Or the way of Father Camilo Torres Restrepo or the way of Pablo Escobar. https://t.co/BF6LPYxD98
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 12, 2023
Amid the friction, High Commissioner for Peace Danilo Rueda made this clear The second cycle of talks with the guerrillas would take place in Mexico and “at the times envisaged by the parties”, calling for “avoiding speculation” about a possible stay of the proceedings.
Antonio García, the ELN’s first commander, who responded to the government’s allegations and made it clear that the guerrillas had no dilemmas or links to drug trafficking, spoke in a conciliatory tone, for his part, summarizing the crisis afflicting the dialogue table.
The guerrilla leader reiterated that the situation arose when agreed “procedures” have been violated and “an alleged agreement that did not exist” was published. In this context, he emphasized: “Mistakes and crises are not bad, they show that we are human and make mistakes. Therefore, the error must be identified and eliminated.
García added that no negligence had been committed on the part of the ELN and for this reason he estimated that “it would not be good to let this mistake happen to the government” but “to make them see it and correct it.” “. “It’s not an ELN strategy at all, let alone trying to collect accounts,” he added.
Referring to the extraordinary meeting, the head of the ELN said that at this meeting the parties “will review what happened at the table, in the presence of guarantors and constant companions”, stressing that the participants in the dialogue “have the maturity to analyze what happened and continue on the path agreed in December. In the next few days we will hold the Extraordinary Assembly, we trust that it will go well.
“A very important meeting”
Monsignor Héctor Fabio Henao, delegate of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference for peace talks with the ELN, told local station Blu Radio that the fact that both parties have agreed to hold the extraordinary meeting in Mexico before the new cycle of talks increases the importance of this meeting .
“This is a very important meeting, as both parties have expressed the will to continue the process of finding ways to resolve various situations that have arisen,” said the church spokesman, after describing the meeting as “a good sign of that.” had will» to move forward and design solutions to the problems that arose.
“I think that in every negotiation there are situations where clarifications are needed, where adjustments are needed. In every negotiation, there are moments when you have to review the route, and that’s normal,” Henao said.
Regarding the issues that could be raised, Henao pointed out that this is an issue that the parties need to define, but stressed that there is “a proactive environment”.
“What is important is that you arrive in an environment of greater openness, and I think that you are entering a fairly positive environment to find solutions,” the religious leader added on the appointment.