The Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN), the last active guerrilla in the country, signed a national ceasefire agreement for a period of six months. During the signing of the agreement in Havana, Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared that this was the beginning of a new world and the end of a phase of armed insurgency in Latin America. The ELN’s top leader, Antonio Garcia, who had an arrest warrant until this week, was present at the ceremony.
The ELN, founded in 1964, has around 5,850 fighters, according to Colombian authorities, and is the oldest active guerrilla group in Latin America. The agreement signed by Colombian government negotiators and the ELN provides for the implementation of previous agreements reached in Cuba, including a national and temporary bilateral ceasefire.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez read the points of the document during the signing ceremony, which took place at the closing of the third cycle of the Peace Dialogue Table in Havana. Antonio GarcÃa was cautious in pointing out that no substantive agreements had been signed but rather procedural agreements. Both parties acknowledged the many challenges they will face in this peace process but stressed its importance.
The agreement also provides for the creation of a channel of communication between the parties through the special representative of the UN Secretary General in Colombia. The ceasefire will come into effect as of August 3, and monitoring and verification protocols and mechanisms will be established in the coming days.
UN Secretary General António Guterres congratulated the Colombian government and the ELN on the agreement and stressed that these important steps bring hope to the Colombian people, especially to the communities most affected by the conflict.
This peace negotiation between the Colombian government and the ELN is the latest attempt after several years of failed attempts. Colombia has suffered half a century of armed conflict and has sought peace with different armed groups. The historic agreement reached in Havana in 2016 led to the disarmament of the FARC and its transformation into a political party. Now, with this agreement with the ELN, it is hoped to move towards a more lasting peace in Colombia.