Colombia Government Resumes Peace Talks With ELN Rebels to End Decades of War

The government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN), the largest remaining guerrilla group in the South American country, resumed peace talks on Monday.

According to the Associated Press, the peace talks broke an almost four-year hiatus during which the rebels expanded their territory. Venezuela, whose government just recently restored diplomatic ties with Colombia, hosted the representatives of the ELN and the government of Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

The peace talks in Venezuela's capital, Caracas, came nearly two months after the rebels and Petro's government announced the resumption of a discussion aimed in reaching an agreement.

In a joint pronouncement, the delegates said they had come together to resume political dialogue "with full political and ethical will, as demanded by the people of rural and urban territories that suffer from violence and exclusion, and other sectors of society."

They further noted that they were willing to "build peace based on a democracy with justice." In the 1960s, the Cuban Revolution inspired students, union leaders, and Catholic priests to form the National Liberation Army or ELN in its Spanish acronym.

The group then became one of the many large rebel groups operating in Colombia and funded its armed struggle via various illegal ventures, which included illegal mining operations across the country.

The group reportedly have about 4,000 fighters in Colombia. It is also active in Venezuela, where it also operates illegal gold mines and drug trafficking routes.

Colombia President Gustavo Petro Promises to Bring Peace

Gustavo Petro, a former M-19 guerrilla, has promised to restore "total peace" by negotiating with rebels and criminal organizations involved in drug smuggling and illegal mining.

As Reuters reported the negotiator for the ELN, Pablo Beltran, said: "We cannot see each other as enemies, the labor we have is of reconciliation... We hope not to fail these expectations for change."

On the other hand, Otty Patino, the government's head negotiator noted that they were "committed to talks with an organization that also wants peace."

According to Colombia's high peace commissioner Danilo Rueda, the delegates had their first meeting on Monday. Previous attempts to negotiate with the ELN have failed partly because of dissent within its ranks.

The organization's leaders noted that there was harmony in the group, but how much sway negotiators hold over active units is unclear. The ELN's negotiation team is significantly older than many of its member.

Colombia's defense minister, Ivan Velasquez, noted that the negotiations do not mean a halt to military operations against the guerrillas.

Talks between the ELN and the government were called off in 2019 by former President Ivan Duque due to the refusal of ELN to halt hostilities and killed 22 police cadets in a bombing. Negotiations started in 2017.

Petro has also promised to implement a 2016 peace deal with the now-demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels. Over 450,000 individuals have lost their lives in Colombia's internal conflict in the past six decades.

During the 2016 FARC peace deal, Colombia gave the rebel group 10 seats in the nation's congress. The government also allowed the former rebels to form their own political party.

As part of the peace deal with the FARC, the Colombian government also agreed to finance several land titling schemes and rural development projects. Following the peace deal, the FARC disbanded, making the ELN the remaining largest leftist guerrilla group in Colombia.

Colombia President Gustavo Petro Speaks With Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro

Gustavo Petro met with Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro earlier this month, in contrast to his predecessor Ivan Duque, who recognized Juan Guaido, the leader of the U.S.-backed opposition, as Venezuela's rightful leader.

As guarantors of the process, Venezuela will be joined by Cuba and Norway, who have both previously acted as mediators in negotiations between the Colombian government and rebel organizations.

According to the administration, the three nations will alternate hosting the discussions, though Cuba and Norway have yet to formally confirm it, Financial Times reported.

According to a statement released by the attorney general's office last week, all arrest warrants for representatives of the ELN's negotiation team were suspended.

Venezuela was selected as the site of the negotiations following "years of Cuba's kindness" in hosting the earlier meetings, Ivan Cepeda, a senator from Petro's alliance and a member of the government team, told Financial Times.

"All negotiations are difficult and present challenges... But I'm confident an agreement can be reached," Cepeda noted.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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