Monday March 27, 2023
  • Venezuela
  • Mexico
  • Colombia
  • Chile
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Podcast
Versión Español
PanAm Post
  • Home
  • Regions
    • South America
    • North America
    • Central America
    • Caribbean
  • Politics
  • Economics
  • Opinion
  • Podcast
  • Authors
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Regions
    • South America
    • North America
    • Central America
    • Caribbean
  • Politics
  • Economics
  • Opinion
  • Podcast
  • Authors
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
PanAm Post
No Result
View All Result

Home » Colombia: ELN Marxist Guerrilla Group Announces Year End Truce

Colombia: ELN Marxist Guerrilla Group Announces Year End Truce

Andrés Fernández by Andrés Fernández
December 17, 2018
in Colombia, News, Politics, South America
FacebookTwitterTelegramWhatsapp
The ELN’s 12 day truce is designed to encourage Duque to return to the negotiation table in Havana (YouTube).

The Central Command (Coce) of the Marxist guerrilla group the ELN (National Liberation Army) has issued a communiqué, announcing a truce for this end of the year.

According to the ELN, this decision is at the behest of the communities in the countryside, social movements, and various sectors of the country that are interested in peace. “We are announcing a cessation of offensive operations from December 23, 2018 to January 3, 2019, to contribute to a climate of peace and tranquility for Christmas and the New Year,” the document reads.

RelatedArticles

The new socialist supremacisms: a maoist cultural revolution undermines the US

The new socialist supremacisms: a maoist cultural revolution undermines the US

August 21, 2021
GETTR: the powerful weapon of Trump and international right wing

GETTR: the powerful weapon of Trump and international right wing

July 13, 2021

That is, there will be a 12-day uninterrupted cessation of military activities. In this regard, the ELN indicated that its purpose is to give continuity to the public phase of the negotiations in Havana, Cuba, which began in February 2017 and asked President Iván Duque to send government delegates to the island to continue with the peace process.

President Ivan Duque froze the dialogues after the end of former President Juan Manuel Santos’ presidential term. The condition established by the government to continue with the dialogues is the release of all the hostages who are currently being held by this insurgent group. The dialogues have been suspended since last August 1, when the sixth cycle of negotiations ended.

“I have every desire and willingness to continue, if there is scope for demobilization, disarmament and reintegration, but a pre-condition must be that all criminal activities be suspended, beginning with the release of the kidnapped. If there is no such demonstration of good faith, it will be very difficult because we can not legitimize violence as a mechanism of pressure on the state,” Duque said in August.

The ELN also assured that it will continue to “work for the continuity of the peace process according to the established agenda, with the participation of society and the accompaniment of the international community, seeking humanitarian agreements” and a new bilateral ceasefire such as the one that was in force from October 2017 to January 2018.

The ELN is growing stronger

In recent times, the ELN has carried out attacks against the police, while also targeting the oil infrastructure and transport companies in different parts of the country.

This truce is a manifestation of continuing dialogues by the ELN Central Command. However, as confirmed by several analysts consulted on security matters, some factions of the guerrilla continue to strengthen in strategic territories.

The current war being waged between the ELN and the EPL in the Catatumbo region of Norte de Santander, along the porous Venezuelan border, has already raged for ten months. This territory serves to control lucrative smuggling and drug trafficking routes, making it a longstanding battleground for criminal and insurgent groups battling the Colombian government.

In this region a powerful faction of the ELN, the Northeast War Front, commanded by Manuel Perez Martinez, operates with a mandate to exterminate the EPL guerrilla, which, although much smaller, has proved a tenacious and bitter foe of the ELN, long Colombia’s second largest guerrilla group.

The Catatumbo region has also emerged as key territory for refugees escaping from Venezuela, both for the extreme difficulty the authorities encounter in enforcing border controls, and due to the 28,000 hectares of coca plants estimated to grow there, making it the third largest region of coca cultivation in Colombia.

While the peace agreement between the FARC and the Colombian government greatly reduced armed combatants fighting the government, an estimated 1,700 disillusioned FARC soldiers have returned to the battlefield, while the ELN numbers an estimated 2,200 soldiers.

The Colombian public, which rejected the agreement by narrow margins in a national referendum, remains skeptical that the agreement will really bring peace. This was a key element in the election of Centro Democratico’s Ivan Duque, who explicitly ran on a platform opposing the peace agreement in its current form.

The ELN remains the most powerful organized insurgent element in nearly a dozen of Colombia’s states, but is particularly strong in the Northeastern states of Arauca, Norte de Santander, and Santander, as well as the restless Southwestern states of Cauca and Narino.

Duque has pledged to take a hardline with the group, known for its political extremism, during the course of his presidential term.

Andrés Fernández

Andrés Fernández

Felipe Fernández is a reporter from Colombia for the PanAm Post. He's a law student at the La Gran Colombia University in Armenia. Follow him on Twitter: @Ffernandezp

Related Posts

The new socialist supremacisms: a maoist cultural revolution undermines the US
Columnists

The new socialist supremacisms: a maoist cultural revolution undermines the US

August 21, 2021
GETTR: the powerful weapon of Trump and international right wing
United States

GETTR: the powerful weapon of Trump and international right wing

July 13, 2021
News

Maduro’s Trial Falls Behind Despite Coordination Between Interim Government and ICC

June 15, 2021
Three Signs That Elon Musk Has the World at His Fingertips
News

15 Republicans Who Voted Against Trump Are Already Facing the Consequences

February 1, 2021
Three Signs That Elon Musk Has the World at His Fingertips
Analysis

Three Signs That Elon Musk Has the World at His Fingertips

February 1, 2021
Three Key Moments to Remind Us That the UN Is a Nest of Oppressive Regimes
Analysis

Antiracist Baby: Netflix Series Loaded with Racially Indoctrinating Children

January 29, 2021
Next Post
Immigration, Wealth Creation, and the Billionaire Class

Immigration, Wealth Creation, and the Billionaire Class

Subscribe free and never miss another breaking story

  • Venezuela
  • Mexico
  • Colombia
  • Chile
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Podcast

© 2020 PanAm Post - Design & Develop by NEW DREAM GLOBAL CORP. - Privacy policy

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Regions
    • South America
    • North America
    • Central America
    • Caribbean
  • Politics
  • Economics
  • Opinion
  • Podcast
  • Authors
  • Contact

© 2020 PanAm Post - Design & Develop by NEW DREAM GLOBAL CORP. - Privacy policy

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Privacy and Cookie Policy.