The Colombian government announced the restart of peace negotiations with the National LIberation Army (ELN) after a three-year hiatus on Tuesday. This announcement was made at a joint press conference with both top ELN leadership and negotiators representing the Colombian government. The conference was held in Caracas, Venezuela, as Venezuela is one of the guarantor countries in the negotiation process.
The negotiations were launched over six years ago but were halted in 2019 by former Colombian president Ivan Duque. Gustavo Petro, the current Colombian president has made restarting these negotiations a priority. The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres praised the announcement and thanked Venezuela, Cuba and Norway for their assistance in facilitating the process. Colombia and Venezuela just re-established diplomatic relations last month after over 2 years. The two countries aim in part to resume talks with guerrilla forces that control parts of territory across the Colombian and Venezuelan border.
Read More: Colombia will restart peace negotiations with National Liberation Army
