The Colombian government provided explanations about the failed ceasefire decree with the National Liberation Army (ELN).
Government representative explained why the bilateral ceasefire was declared without being agreed with the ELN. On December 19th precisely, after declaring the unilateral cessation of this organization, they requested that the national government act in accordance with its desire for peace and study the possibility of responding with a bilateral cessation, under this understanding, the Colombian government decreed the cessation bilateral.
The ELN’s refusal to enter into a bilateral ceasefire, as it had announced in a decree of the Colombian national government, led to President Petro’s decision to suspend the legal effects of those decrees until the dialogue table is reactivated in the next few days (January 23) and at that table the initiative will be taken by the government on the protocols to follow.
The Colombian government invited this organization to declare a verifiable truce in response to the imperative call of the ethnic territorial and peasant communities to maintain the bilateral cessation and non-violence in their territories.
Of course, the government made it clear that the military forces will have to continue protecting the civilian population. The military and police forces retain full powers in the offensive against the National Liberation Army; what had been suspended was precisely that offensive
The Colombian government now hopes that the ceasefire and the protocols to comply with and verify it will be discussed at the dialogue table with the ELN. The only decree of ceasefire that is suspended is that of the National Liberation Army, the other four are maintained, that is, FARC central staff , the second Marquetalia, the Glfo Clan and the self-defense groups of the Sierra Nevada .
