Colombia: Government and National Liberation Army Resume Peace Talks in Caracas
Victoria Torres, Orinoco Tribune, May 22, 2024 —
Peace delegations of the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) began a new round of peace talks in Caracas.
The two delegations began conversations on Monday, May 20 with the firm intention of receiving the executive report of the Participation Model of National Participation Plan in order to reach a final agreement jointly.
In Caracas, a previous statement was issued by both the ELN and the Colombian government, stating that this was the first step towards signing the dialogue agreement. This initial topic of the dialogue specifically refers to the participation of various sectors involved in the peace process, a point that is considered to be the heart of the peace talks. It is a plan with recommendations that have the objective of building a more complete agenda towards transformations for peace.
This new round of negotiations is scheduled to be held until next Saturday, May 25. This marks a milestone in the search for peaceful solutions to a conflict that has marred Colombia and the region for decades.
Process and commitment
At the last round of negotiations held in April, the Colombian government’s delegation was led by Vera Grabe, while the ELN team had Israel Ramírez Pineda, alias Pablo Beltrán, as head of negotiations, along with the group’s top commander, Eliécer Herlinto Chamorro, alias Antonio García, who is not part of the negotiating delegation. This time, the list of participating attendees for this new round of negotiations has not been disclosed yet.
Colombian press reported that the government delegates, representatives of the guarantor countries, accompanying delegations, and delegates of the UN Verification Mission met this weekend in Caracas with the hope of reaching a historic agreement.
Senator Iván Cepeda, Colombian government delegate to the peace negotiations, reiterated his country’s commitment to the peace process. “We hope that on May 25, for the first time, an agenda item can be signed with the ELN,” said Cepeda recently.