Colombia: ELN Rebels Say They Will Stop Kidnapping for Ransom

Rebels from Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) declared on Sunday their commitment to cease using kidnapping as a fundraising tactic, contingent upon the extension of the current ceasefire with the government, AP reports.

The announcement followed talks between the rebel group and the government in Mexico City over the weekend.

While the ELN pledged to abandon kidnapping, the fate of the estimated 38 Colombians currently held captive by the rebels remains uncertain, as does the adherence to the pledge if the ceasefire, initially declared in August and set to expire on January 29, is not extended.

The practice of kidnapping for ransom has long been a source of funding for criminal and rebel groups in Colombia, including the ELN, founded in 1964.

The group is one of the last remaining rebel factions yet to disarm.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has linked the extension of the ceasefire to discussions aimed at eliminating the rebels' involvement in illicit trades such as cocaine smuggling.

This condition may pose a challenge to the ongoing talks, given the ELN's denial of engaging in such activities.

Colombia and ELN Rebels Ceasefire Extension and Future Negotiations

Although the current ceasefire is scheduled to conclude on January 29, both the government and the ELN expressed openness to extending it, according to Barron's.

Pablo Beltran, the head of the guerrilla delegation, stated that an extension in February is feasible. The next round of negotiations is scheduled for January 9 to 18 in Bogota.

Notably, the ceasefire, initiated in January, has faced multiple violations that, at times, jeopardized the progress of peace talks.

The talks seek to bring an end to the six decades of armed conflict in Colombia, which has left 9.5 million people displaced, murdered, or kidnapped.

EMC Rebel Group Announces End to Kidnapping for Ransom

In a separate development, Colombia's EMC rebel group, the largest offshoot of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), declared that it would cease kidnapping people for ransom, BBC noted.

The EMC, composed of rebels who rejected the 2016 peace deal signed by the FARC, announced the decision as part of ongoing peace talks with President Gustavo Petro's government.

While this announcement is a positive development, it is anticipated that other rebel groups, such as the ELN, may continue the practice of kidnapping for ransom.

The Ombudsman's office reported that 91 people were still being held hostage across the country.

The EMC, or Estado Mayor Central, the largest dissident rebel group emerging post the 2016 peace deal, boasts around 3,000 members. Most active in Caquetá, Guaviare, Meta, and Putumayo provinces.

Negotiations with the EMC have experienced challenges, including a temporary suspension of the ceasefire by President Gustavo Petro in response to the killing of four indigenous teenagers forcibly recruited by the rebel group. Peace talks between the government and the EMC resumed only last month.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Colombia and ELN rebels agree to cease-fire - From Associated Press