Colombia Halts Peace Talks with ELN After Deadly Attack

The Colombian government has suspended peace negotiations with the National Liberation Army (ELN) following an attack that killed two soldiers and injured over two dozen. The peace process, a key aspect of President Gustavo Petro's 'total peace' policy, faces severe challenges as talks are now on hold.

Colombia's government announced on Wednesday the suspension of peace talks with the leftist rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), following a fatal attack that killed two soldiers and injured more than two dozen others.

This decision is a significant setback for President Gustavo Petro's 'total peace' policy, which aimed to end the ELN's participation in the country's six-decade-long internal conflict. A government peace delegation stated via a post on 'X' that the peace process's viability is severely hindered and could only resume with a clear demonstration of peace by the ELN.

Peace negotiations had resumed at the end of 2022, with six rounds of talks taking place in Mexico, Cuba, and Venezuela. However, the talks were in crisis, particularly after the government started separate negotiations with a splinter unit in the country's southwest. Following the end of a ceasefire, the ELN escalated attacks on military forces and resumed bombing oil pipelines, leading to severe environmental damage. The government has reinstated arrest warrants for ELN's top commanders based in Venezuela and Cuba, but there has been no immediate comment from the ELN on these developments.

(With inputs from agencies.)