Colombian President Gustavo Petro (left) and ELN Commander Antonio García (right) shake hands after signing the ceasefire agreement, while Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel (center) claps. Photo: Presidency of Colombia.
The government of Colombia and the guerrilla organization National Liberation Army (ELN) signed a ceasefire on Friday, as part of the negotiations that started in Caracas and are currently taking place in Havana, Cuba.
The Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez announced on Friday, June 9, that the ceasefire will last 180 days and will be extended if necessary. Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Chile, and Norway are the international guarantors for the peace talks.
The ceasefire is expected to be put into effect from August 3. ELN commander Pablo Beltrán called for the participation of the Colombian people to resolve the problems that led to the conflict.
Proponemos que además de verificación técnica, el #CeseAlFuego tenga fuerte componente de veeduría social. Los pueblos que sufren la guerra deben ser parte del mecanismo de monitoreo. El #CeseAlFuego no es el fin de la guerra, sino alivio necesario para construir una #PazIntegral
— Delegación ELN (@DelegacionEln) June 7, 2023
The agreement signed between the Colombian government and the ELN, with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel chairing the ceremony, implies the application of the first three points of the Mexico Agreement, which include the participation of society in the construction of peace in Colombia, promoting democracy, and carrying out profound transformations that would guarantee it.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro arrived in Havana on Thursday night to participate in the closing of the third round of the peace talks. The first round of the negotiations between the ELN and Colombian authorities took place in Caracas. Subsequently, the second round was held in Mexico, where the main point of discussion was the bilateral ceasefire.
Venezuela celebrates Colombian ceasefire agreement
Venezuela celebrated the signing of the ceasefire between the Colombian government and the ELN, through a statement published on the website of the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in its social media accounts.
#Comunicado | En nombre del pueblo venezolano, el presidente @NicolasMaduro felicita al Gobierno de la República de Colombia y al Ejército de Liberación Nacional – ELN, por los importantes logros obtenidos en el Tercer Ciclo de los Diálogos de Paz realizados en La Habana. pic.twitter.com/Oj9GnXam9q
— Yvan Gil (@yvangil) June 9, 2023
President Nicolás Maduro, on behalf of the Venezuelan people and government “celebrates the signing of the agreements for the processes of participation of society in the construction of peace, and the bilateral, temporary and national ceasefire, reached on this successful day that constitutes a definitive path for peace in our sister nation Colombia,” reads the statement.
United Nations makes pronouncement on Colombian ceasefire
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres congratulated the government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army for the ceasefire. Guterres also welcomed the implementation of a mechanism to define the participation of Colombia’s society in the peace process, according to a statement released by spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.
#MUNDO| Stéphane Dujarric, Portavoz del Secretario General de las Naciones Unidas, dijo que hay confianza en que el gobierno colombiano y el ELN trabajarán “juntas y de buena fe, con la determinación de cumplir con sus obligaciones acordadas bajo el cese al fuego”. @EddyMosquera0 pic.twitter.com/srKgWvCo7H
— ÚltimaHoraCaracol (@UltimaHoraCR) June 9, 2023
“These are important steps that give hope to the people, especially the communities most affected by the conflict,” the communication stated. It added that the participation of the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, and the first commander of the ELN, Antonio García in the agreement signing ceremony in Havana confirms the political will of the two sides.
(Últimas Noticias) by Ariadna Eljuri, with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SC
