Venezuelan Government Denies ELN Presence in its Territory
Through a statement published this Sunday, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry reported that the presence of members of the National Liberation Army (ELN) of Colombia has not been registered in its territory, as it was said by the Government of that country, “there are no indications of the presence of those referred ELN commanders in the national territory,” the document says.
The statement refers to notes issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia between January 3 and 15, which refer to the alleged residences of the central command of the armed group in Venezuela.
In this regard, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry reported that it responded to Colombia with two notes – January 7 and 18 – emphasizing that “the intelligence agencies of the Venezuelan State indicate that there are no indications of the presence of those ELN commanders in Venezuelan territory.”
Likewise, the Bolivarian Government urged its Colombian counterpart to deliver all the information known about the accusation, to “process it and act in accordance with international agreements.”
Venezuela recalled that the only times that communication has been established with that Colombian guerrilla has been during the mediations of peace, and at the request of the respective presidents of Colombia, and called on the Chancellery of that country to reestablish the necessary diplomatic channels.
On the other hand, the statement indicated that in the response notes sent to the Colombian government, the request for collaboration was reiterated for the capture and surrender of persons involved in the assassination attempt against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, criminals that currently reside in Colombia. Petition that has been ignored by the Governments of Juan Manuel Santos and Iván Duque since the first inquiries about the failed attack, in August 2018.
Translated by JRE/AR
