Gustavo Petro, ordered resumption of military operations against the guerrilla group Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN)
“While the Bilateral and Temporary National Ceasefire between the National Government and the ELN is suspended, order the resumption of offensive military operations and police operations against ELN members,” the Decree reads.
This resumption of operations occurs after the group ELN denied President Petro about a bilateral ceasefire and that the National Government summoned the delegation of that guerrilla to an extraordinary meeting to solve the crisis of the peace talks.
The Decree also states “Suspend the National Bilateral and Temporary Ceasefire between the National Government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) ordered by Decree 2657 of December 31, 2022, until the protocols signed between the national government and the ELN within the framework of Decree 2657 of 2022”.
Now it remains to wait for the response of the ELN delegation to the invitation of the National Government to hold an urgent meeting which would take place days before the start of the second cycle of talks that will take place in Mexico.
The subject of discussion would be framed in the bilateral ceasefire, a subject of contention in recent weeks between the Petro administration and the ELN.
The aforementioned Decree was signed by the President of the Republic, Gustavo Petro, and the Defense Minister, Iván Velásquez.
