The Colombian guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN), engaged in peace negotiations with the government, announced the resumption of kidnappings for ransom. The ELN believes that the executive has not kept its commitment to provide it with donations from the international community.
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The National Liberation Army, after a truce concluded with the security forces in 2023, agreed in January 2024 to suspend the kidnappings; the confinement for almost two weeks of the father of Colombian Liverpool footballer Luis Manuel Diaz had caused a crisis in the talks.
In a press release dated Monday, May 6, the guerrillas believe that this commitment was linked to the establishment of a “multi-donor fund” supplemented by the international community. “ The government shows little desire to move forward in this area. In view of the above, the ELN considers that its offer of unilateral suspension » kidnappings for ransom « is obsolete », Underlined the ELN on its Telegram account.
“ The Colombian government delegation has always made it clear to the ELN that the trade in human beings has no […] justification and that its elimination was not the subject of any transaction », Reacted the executive. “ We hope that the ELN will keep its commitments to Colombian society and the international community and put an end to all forms of kidnapping “, he added in a press release.
The Office of the People’s Defender, which ensures respect for human rights, estimated in a press release that the ELN was thus demonstrating ” for the umpteenth time ” her “ little desire to advance peace talks “.
A fund ” in no way been created in exchange for the suspension of kidnappings »
According to the government, the “multi-donor fund” is intended to “ finance peace activities » and did not « in no way been created in exchange for the suspension of kidnappings “.
The left-wing president Gustavo Petro has been negotiating with the ELN since November 2022. A fragile ceasefire has been in effect since the summer of 2023. Both sides have repeatedly reported violations of this agreement, leading to crises and suspensions of talks.
The Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) resumed peace negotiations on April 13, 2023 in Caracas. The latter had been frozen due in particular to clashes between the guerrillas and other armed groups.
In six decades of civil conflict, the Colombia has experienced some 50,000 kidnappings, according to the Truth Commission, mainly by armed groups who finance their operations in this way, and with drug trafficking. The ELN, which took up arms in 1964, has around 5,800 men and women with a vast network of collaborators, according to Colombian military intelligence. Despite central command, its fronts are militarily autonomous, which experts say makes negotiations difficult.
Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first left-wing president and himself a former guerrilla, is banking on a negotiated global solution. In 2016, a historic peace agreement resulted in the disarmament of most of the FARC.