During the closing of the fifth cycle of peace talks between the Government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN), in Mexico, both delegations announced in a joint statement an agreement, in which the guerrilla undertakes to suspend kidnappings with extortion purposes. This pact arises after the crisis unleashed by the kidnapping of the parents of Liverpool striker Luis Díaz by the ELN.
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The National Liberation Army (ELN) will cease “withholdings for economic purposes (…) within the framework of the extension of the ceasefire scheduled for the end of January of next year,” according to the joint statement issued by both delegations.
“An announcement, which I believe is transcendent for peace in Colombia,” said Vera Grabe, head and representative of the Colombian Government at the Dialogue Table with the ELN, when closing this cycle of conversations that began on December 4. “After critical moments in this process we are moving firmly towards peace,” she added.
Attention 🚨 I Joint Communiqué No. 19
Closing of the Fifth Cycle of Peace Dialogues between the National Government and the ELN. 📢 pic.twitter.com/9h4KPxXIeD— High Commissioner Paz (@ComisionadoPaz) December 17, 2023
This fifth round of negotiations to end six decades of conflict began in the midst of the most serious crisis that the process has faced, after the kidnapping by the ELN of the parents of soccer player Luis Díaz on October 28.
His mother was released shortly after, but his father, Luis Manuel Díaz, remained in captivity for 12 days and was finally released on November 9. His kidnapping generated a crisis in the dialogue between the Colombian Government and the ELN, which began after the establishment of a ceasefire last June.
However, at the end of last month, the government delegation announced that representatives of both teams would meet to try to overcome the crisis. Grabe affirmed this Sunday that “crises, when they are taken advantage of, strengthen us, they become a possibility,” while he maintains that achieving peace at this time is a “revolutionary” act.
The same goal: “peace”
Furthermore, according to the statement, the agreements reached at the end of this fifth cycle reaffirm the peace process and establish the conditions for the extension of the ceasefire, currently in force until January 29.
“It is feasible to extend it until February,” declared Pablo Beltrán, head of the ELN delegation, also stating that both the guerrilla and the Colombian Government have the same objective: peace. “We are partners, we are responsible for building that mandate,” he stressed.
Both parties, Government and ELN, have agreed to meet again in Cuba on January 24 for a sixth round of talks.
Reactions to the agreement
“My recognition to the Government of Colombia and the ELN who, through constructive dialogue, political will and commitment to peace, overcame differences by reaching important agreements for Colombian society in this fifth cycle of dialogues,” said Carlos Ruiz Massieu, special representative of the UN Secretary General and head of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia.
The diplomat added that “the United Nations will continue to accompany the process of transformation and peace consolidation in Colombia.” “All our gratitude to Mexico for its generosity and solidarity with Colombia at an important moment for the country and for this Dialogue Table,” highlighted Ruiz Massieu.
My recognition to the Government of Colombia and the ELN who, through constructive dialogue, political will and commitment to peace, overcame differences by reaching important agreements for Colombian society in this V Cycle of dialogues. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/B8NBVcMxPA
— Carlos Ruiz Massieu (@CGRuizMasieu) December 17, 2023
In this sense, Juan Fernando Cristo, former Minister of the Interior and peace negotiator with the FARC, mentioned that “the ELN's announcement to suspend the practice of kidnapping and provide information about the kidnapped people in its power is good news for the country and the victims”. “A key advance that contributes to generating confidence in the peace process with that guerrilla,” said Cristo.
Conservative senator Nadia Blel also appreciated the announcement of “the suspension of kidnapping for ransom” and said that “it is good news” for the country. “However, the true will for peace must be demonstrated by releasing all those currently held hostage; no one should be a victim of such a heinous crime,” she added in X.
According to human rights defenders, such as the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation, the ELN guerrilla currently holds around 30 people deprived of their liberty and is responsible for 11% of the kidnappings carried out since August 2022, when the Government of the progressive Gustavo Petro assumed power. According to a report from the ONGthe country has seen a spike in kidnappings in 2023, the largest in the last eight years, with a total of 287 recorded until last October.
According to International Humanitarian Law and in accordance with the Geneva Conventions that establish its foundations, the taking of hostages, which includes any civilian with no role in the conflict or when money is requested in exchange for their release, constitutes a war crime. .
With EFE and AFP
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