Colombia begins negotiations with the guerrillas of the National Liberation Army

There are a total of thirty-eight smiling and mixed in the official photo. It’s time for optimism. The first meeting between Colombian government negotiators and National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas took place in Caracas on Monday (November 21st). UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the resumption of peace talks that have been suspended for four years. The guarantor countries of the negotiations – Venezuela, Cuba and Norway – assessed in a press release that this was an issue. “An important step to achieve peace in Colombia”. During his three months in power, Gustavo Petro is targeting his country “Complete Peace” and intends to negotiate with all armed groups operating in Colombia.

Founded in 1964 in the wake of the Cuban Revolution, the ELN is the last of the major Latin American guerrillas still active. The Elenos strengthened their territorial power in 2016 after the demobilization of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). According to the authorities, the ELN has about 2,500 fighters today. The organization would be firmly established in Venezuela, hence the strategic importance of the place of negotiations and the rapprochement of Gustavo Petro with President Nicolás Maduro. It is listed as a terrorist organization in the United States and the European Union.

Optimism is still measured. This is indeed the sixth time in its long history that the ELN has come to the negotiating table. “However, this is the first time that ELN guerrillas have confronted the left-wing government., Leon Valencia, director of the organization Peace and Reconciliation, emphasizes. “It makes a real difference”said the head of the ELN delegation, 68-year-old Pablo Beltran in Caracas.

“historical moment”

The two delegations prepared a joint communiqué on Monday. “Peace is our dream, change our way”, the text says. A way to remember that the democratic left and the armed left share certain ideals. Peace Commissioner Danilo Rueda spoke “Historical moment, almost unique” for that “Beyond the Dynamics of Death” and “In the end become daughters and sons of the same country, consisting of changes and transformations”. The first round of talks is expected to last three weeks in Caracas. The next ones will be held in Cuba and Norway.

In his youth, President Petro belonged to the M19 guerrillas, an armed movement that had been demobilized for thirty years. He appointed Otti Patino, a former comrade-in-arms-turned-writer, as chief negotiator and, in a surprise move, also offered José Félix Lafaure, the far-right president of the Breeders’ Federation, to be the negotiator. Mr. Lafauri, in turn, was surprised to receive this proposal. He is the husband of Senator Maria Fernanda Cabal, a fierce opponent of Mr. Petros. Rosmer Quintero, president of the Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises, also agreed to join the government team.