Peace in Chaos: Colombia's ELN Leader Stresses Negotiations Amid Conflict

The top military commander of Colombia's ELN rebel group, Antonio Garcia, asserts that peace negotiations with the government can continue despite ongoing military operations. Talks were suspended following an ELN attack, and the government insists on clear peace actions from the rebels before resuming dialogue.

The top military commander of Colombia's rebel National Liberation Army (ELN), Antonio Garcia, reaffirmed on Thursday that the peace process being negotiated with the Colombian government can persist even amid ongoing military operations.

Colombia's government had suspended the talks on Wednesday, a day after an ELN explosives attack killed two military personnel and wounded 29 others near the Venezuelan border. Garcia, in a statement on X, emphasized, 'Peace processes can continue even in the midst of military operations. This has been done various times by different governments and now cannot be the exception.'

On the same day, the government peace delegation stated the process was on hold and stipulated that the ELN must show an 'unequivocal demonstration of peace' for talks to resume. Although the Colombian government restarted peace negotiations with the ELN in late 2022, the dialogue was stalled when the government initiated separate talks with a faction in the southwest, prompting the ELN to resume kidnappings, bomb oil pipelines, and intensify offensives against security forces. In response, Colombia's military has also relaunched operations against the ELN.

(With inputs from agencies.)