ELN ends armed offensive amid tensions amid ceasefire agreed with Colombia

BOGOTA (AP) — National Liberation Army guerrillas declared the end of an armed offensive Tuesday that has restricted the mobility of citizens across Colombia’s Pacific region for at least three days, with the government challenging it. after the stress The ceasefire was recently renewed as part of peace talks,

The armed attack “damages the spirit of the ceasefire,” he told The Associated Press before the ceasefire was announced on Wednesday. ,

“With this, what they do is re-victimize people, so peace cannot be built,” Patino said.

Although no violent acts against the population with victims were reported, in the Chocó region, a department in the east of the country, people were imprisoned and could not move freely.

The armed attack was announced on 10 February in a booklet distributed by the ELN’s Western War Front, in which they justified it due to fighting with military and paramilitary forces in the area. The same front announced that the imposed ban would end on 14 February.

This measure created tension in the face of the bilateral ceasefire, which was renewed this year to be in force from 6 February to 3 August and which was celebrated by the parties wishing to complete one year. The unprecedented agreement includes suspending kidnappings for extortion and not using minors under the age of 15 in the conflict.

“The Western Front has repeatedly had an attitude of reacting with armed attack to the agreements made at the table, which is an inconsistency to the developments in the agreements being made at each round of the table.” Patino boasted about peace talks.

Compliance with the ceasefire is monitored by a monitoring and verification mechanism of which the United Nations Mission in Colombia is a part. However, it is still unclear whether armed attack is a violation or not.

The central command of the ELN indicated in a statement on Tuesday that it is false that the said front disagrees with the peace process being carried out with the government, where it has its spokesperson.

Furthermore, the guerrilla command indicated that the armed attack in Chocó is “a security measure against operations of aggression and subjugation oriented and supported by the army and which are carried out by paramilitary gangs against the communities of the region.”

The ELN, founded in 1964, has a presence in more than 200 municipalities in Colombia, with a structure of blocks that answer to a central command.

Active peace talks resumed with the government of leftist Gustavo Petro in November 2022 and are the most advanced in its “complete peace” policy, which calls for rapprochement with armed groups in the country.

Patino warned that the ceasefire does not equate to allowing armed people to commit crimes against the population: “Not everything that is a crime fits within the ceasefire, but everything that is a crime must be dealt with by justice and public force.” It is a matter of action, in such a way that the issue of security does not conflict with the developing peace.”

This is not the first incident in peace talks. Last year, crisis came to the table when guerrillas kidnapped the parents of a famous football player. This was later resolved and the ELN committed to suspending kidnappings for extortion.

The methodology of the negotiations involves that each agreement on paper is implemented in the field, a difference with other previous peace processes, which were not implemented until they were completed.