President Petro announces ceasefire with ELN until June 2023

The Colombian President, Gustavo Petroannounced shortly before midnight on December 31 a ‘bilateral cessation’ of fire with the National Liberation Army (ELN), the dissidents of the Farc and paramilitary groups which will be in force from January 1 to June 30, 2023.

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Saying Ceasefire will be ‘extendable depending on progress in negotiations’, added the president in their social networks.

In total there are five groups that announced the ceasefire: THE N, Central General Staff of the dissidents of FARCthe Second Marquetalia, the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of
Colombia (AGC) and the paramilitaries from Sierra Nevada.

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The president made the announcement through his social networks shortly before the end of 2022 and his office specified that government has received letters from civil society, the Church and many community organizations calling for an end to the violence.

“We have agreed a bilateral cessation with the ELN, the Segunda Marquetalia, the Central General Staff, the AGC (Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia) and the Sierra Nevada Self-Defense Forces from January 1 to June 30, 2023, extendable according to the progress in the negotiations. Total peace will be a reality,” he said. Peter on Twitter.

(See: Meeting between representatives of the US government and Colombia).

since he took over Presidencyon August 7, Petro and his government have defended a policy of ‘full peace‘ who has already managed to resume negotiations with the THE N in Caracas.

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“It is my wish at the end of the year that peace be possible. This is a bold act. The bilateral ceasefire obliges the armed organizations and the State to respect it. There will be a national and international verification mechanism. May peace be between us. Happy New Year”, added the president.

According to the information provided by the Presidency, the bilateral cessation will have national and international verification by the UN Verification Missionof the Mission to Support the Peace Process of the Organization of American States (MAPP/OEA), the Ombudsman’s Office People and the Catholic Church.

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For the moment, “the ceasefire with other organizations is not contemplated”, added Presidency, but government will review the results of the processes in progress and other unilateral terminations to make future decisions.

The announcement did not take long to receive positive reactions, including that of the head of the UN Verification Mission in ColombiaCarlos Ruiz Massieu, who insisted that “The United Nations supports all efforts aimed at reducing violence in the territories, protecting the communities affected by the conflict and building peace in
Colombia”.

EFE