The Government of Petro and the ELN guerrillas begin to discuss a ceasefire

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  • The negotiations with Mexico closed with moderate optimism and a common political document

He Colombian Government and the National Liberation Army (ELN), the last operational guerrilla in that country, closed their second round of talks in Mexico, glimpsing closer than before the longed-for horizon of peace. Although there is still a long way to go, these 25 days of trading have laid the foundation for start discussing the ceasefire. “The first steps have been taken,” said ELN commander Pablo Beltrán. “We have made progress in building an itinerary with a common vision of peace,” remarked the direct representative of the President Gustavo Petro, Otty Patino. The government has in turn taken a bold political step by recognizing the ELN as a “rebel armed organization” with which he holds dialogues “aimed at obtaining solutions to the armed conflict.”

the vice president France Marquez He participated in these talks that also made it possible to address other urgent issues such as citizen and community participation in the peace process. The parties will meet again in Havana. Cuba has already played an important role during the negotiations between the government of Juan Manuel Santos and the FARC that led to an end to the confrontations seven years ago.

“We must all change to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace, we must all participate in its design and realization,” added Beltrán.

The “full peace”

Petro, a former M-19 insurgent, has proposed to achieve “total peace” in Colombia upon assuming the presidency. This includes far-right armed groups and drug factions. The possibility of reaching a definitive agreement with the ELN is crucial in this ambitious roadmap. That path has not been easy so far. In fact, there were already attempts at negotiations in 2017 that did not reach any positive result. Pedro’s coming to power created new conditions for a dialogue that resumed at the end of last year in Caracas with the sponsorship of Venezuela, Norway and Cuba. In turn, Mexico, Norway and Brazil are guarantors of these dialogues. Sweden, Germany, Switzerland and Spain act as accompanying countries.

The agenda signed by the Government and the ELN is broad and, it is estimated, will cause more than one controversy for its implementation. The joint document talks about building “a political and social alliance towards a great national agreement” and the need to “identify the causes of the fundamental problems of the country” to achieve these transformations. If that materializes, it will be from now on “unnecessary use of weapons as a means to impede or encourage political, economic and social transformations”.

According to the declaration, there is a need for the “active and effective participation of women, of populations that have been historically excluded, discriminated against and precarious -boys, girls, adolescents, youth, the elderly, ethnic groups, peasants, workers, deprived of freedom, the diaspora, LGBTIQ+ population and in a condition of disability-, in the construction of democracy for peace”.

Political changes

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The process that should lead to the end of the armed conflict that began in 1964 requires “examining, from a democratic perspective, the political regime and the economic model”, as well as “evaluate the treatment given to political, social and environmental conflicts based on the construction of peace”. It is also considered necessary to “review the regulatory framework” and the ” guarantees for public demonstration” in a society historically criminalized when mobilizing or protesting.

The wishes for peace, it is pointed out finally, must be accompanied by “public policies aimed at overcoming poverty, social exclusion, corruption and environmental degradation, in search of equity”. This implies the implementation of “comprehensive alternative development plans in urban and rural territories”.



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