Colombia, ELN rebels invite three more countries to help with peace talks
Reuters
Published Nov 25, 2022 04:04PM ET
By Vivian Sequera and Luis Jaime Acosta
CARACAS/BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's government and leftist guerrilla group the National Liberation Army (ELN) said on Friday they have agreed to invite Brazil, Chile and Mexico as so-called guarantor countries in peace talks that seek to end nearly 60 years of conflict.
The peace talks, which had been suspended in 2019, resumed in the Venezuelan capital Caracas on Monday.
Leftist Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a former member of the M-19 insurgency who took office in August, has promised to bring "total peace" to Colombia after the South American country signed a peace deal at the end of 2016 with the much larger Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Following a week of discussions, Colombia and the ELN said in a statement they have worked in an "environment of trust and optimism." They agreed to bring in Brazil, Chile and Mexico to join Cuba, Norway and Venezuela, as countries who can ensure compliance with commitments made.
They will also invite Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and Spain to join and will encourage the United States to appoint a special envoy to the negotiating table.
Colombia and the ELN also agreed to resume humanitarian relief, but did not offer details.
Previous attempts at negotiations with the ELN, which has some 2,400 combatants and was founded in 1964 by radical Catholic priests, have not advanced partly because of dissent within its ranks.
ELN leaders say the group is united, but it is unclear how much sway negotiators hold over active units. Much of the ELN's negotiating team is older than its rank and file.
Talks between the ELN and the government of Juan Manuel Santos began in 2017 in Ecuador, later moving to Cuba, but were called off in 2019 by Santos' successor, Ivan Duque, because the ELN refused to halt hostilities and killed 22 police cadets in a bombing.
Get The News You Want
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.