Colombian government and ELN sign agreement to include citizens in the peace process

The Government of Colombia and ELN closed the most recent cycle of talks this Saturday, in Caracas, with the signing of an agreement on citizen participation in the construction of peace agreements.

(Read: Economic unions say they did not listen to their proposals for a peace table with the ELN).

“This is already a consensus for the dialogue table and, therefore, in the search for the greatest possible participation for the necessary transformations. “We are advancing an unprecedented historical process,” said Rodrigo Botero, member of the Government delegation, after reading the introduction of the agreement.

The inclusion of citizen participation represents the first of six points that both parties have set on the agenda of the peace agreements.

The pact highlights that to begin this path of “voices, actions, knowledge and methods” The National Participation Committee (CNP) was formed, which carried out 78 pre-meetings and meetings in Colombia, with the participation of 8,565 representatives of social organizations from 30 sectors, as well as 3,217 organizations in all regions of the country.

(See: Dialogue accompanies regret the ELN’s decision to lift the suspension of kidnappings).

In addition, There were meetings in 19 Colombian prisons and the diaspora from 14 countries in Latin America, North America and Europe were included.

“The result of this process is a participation design, a national plan and some recommendations”reads the agreement.

The delegations of the Colombian Government and the ELN indicated that they are aware that additional spaces are required to hear other voices of the “organized and unorganized society“.

In this first phase, the agreement continues, the axes of dialogue on the political regime, economic model, environmental policy, education and culture were developed.

“This agreement is an advance and an important step towards a social and political alliance, towards a Great National Agreement, understood as a path and route to remove violence from politics in Colombia and solve the multiple problems that the country is experiencing to move towards peace”he added.

Likewise, The parties committed to not leaving the dialogue table and ratified their commitment to bilateral compliance.

The head of the delegation of the Government of Colombia, Vera Grabe, valued the signing of this agreement because – she considered – it is not easy to find “the path to peace” and “overcoming so many years of war, of violence” in the Andean country Meanwhile, the head of the ELN delegation, Pablo Beltrán, who pointed out that the dialogue table wants to contribute to the changes that are “urgent” in Colombia, explained that the agreement seeks to organize the participation of the people in the ” construction of peace”.

“For Colombia to change, we must all change, the ELN is willing to change, the Government is willing to lead changes, but also the forces, both of the Government and the ELN, are insufficient to promote the changes that the country needs,” held.

EFE