BOGOTA.- Antonio García, leader of the National Liberation Army (ELN)the last active guerrilla in Colombia, stated that the recent agreement to suspend the kidnappings of civilians is subject to the government of Gustavo Petro fulfill its commitment to fund projects aimed at providing alternative sources of income for group members.
In a column published on Christmas Day, García expressed his displeasure over incorrect information provided by Colombian officials and journalists on December 17, who announced that the ELN had agreed to end the kidnappings in exchange for extending the ceasefire with the government next year.
García explained that although such an agreement was reached during the recent peace negotiations in Mexico City, the Petro government also committed to creating a commission that would explore ways to “finance the peace negotiations” and the current cessation of the fire, defining what activities would be supported.
García’s announcement represents a setback for Petro’s government, which had viewed the ELN’s provisional agreement to end the kidnappings as a crucial step toward peace.
Current talks between the ELN and the Petro government began in November 2022 and resulted in a six-month ceasefire that expires on January 30, with little progress.
Pressure on the ELN
In October, Colombian authorities pressured the ELN to stop kidnapping civilians for ransom after one of its squads kidnapped the parents of soccer player Luis Díaz in the north of the country. Although Díaz’s mother was quickly rescued, his father was released after 12 days, after protests and mediation.
García warned that the group will not suspend the kidnappings without a definitive agreement.
“There is no definitive cessation, but a temporary one,” he indicated in the message published on X, formerly Twitter. “We must repeat that there is still no substantial agreement on peace.”
The conflict between the Colombian government and the ELN dates back to the 1960s. Although the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the largest guerrilla group, reached a peace agreement in 2016, the ELN still numbers between 2,000 and 4,000 members in Colombia and Venezuela. The Colombian Ministry of Defense reported that the group is holding at least 38 people kidnapped.
Source: With information from AP
