The ELN proposes a bilateral ceasefire on the eve of negotiations with the Government of Colombia

The main leader of the National Liberation Army (ELN), Eliecer Chamorro Acosta, alias ‘Antonio Garcia’, has proposed to the Government of Colombia, on the eve of the negotiations next week, that as a gesture of goodwill the installations of The guerrilla.

“We propose that if you don’t want military installations to be attacked, well, we can also propose that our installations not be attacked,” the guerrilla leader stated in a video echoed by Colombian media, such as the newspaper ‘El Tiempo ‘.

‘Garcia’ has defended that this proposal for a ceasefire must be bilateral and that it will be one of the points that the guerrilla delegation plans to raise as soon as they sit down to negotiate.

On the other hand, ‘Garcia’ has defended the political character of the guerrillas against the detractors of President Gustavo Petro’s ‘total peace’ plan, who are urging the government to try them as a criminal group. “They are within their rights, but the reality is that the ELN exists as part of some contradictions in a society,” he said.

In parallel to this recording, ‘Garcia’ has also used his Twitter account to show the discrepancies that exist between some sectors of the ELN in relation to these negotiations.

Among the “critical issues” that the ELN plans to raise are some aspects of Petro’s own ‘total peace’ law, the collusion of a multilateral ceasefire, the demobilization scheme and the degree of civil society participation in the process.

“Changes that contribute to social justice and democratize the country are the path to peace. Never the other way around. All these questions are still on the minds of the Elenos (the way in which the ELN guerrillas are known),” he said. written on his Twitter account ‘Antonio Garcia’.

Reaching peace with the armed groups has been a major issue for Petro since he began his presidential career. With his arrival at Casa Narino, the Government and the ELN have shown their willingness to reach an agreement and get out of the impasse in which the conversations with the former executive of Ivan Duque had been trapped.

Pending more confirmations for the negotiations next week, the Colombian government delegation will be led by the political scientist and former guerrilla of the April 19 Movement (M-19) Otty Patino, while the ELN will be led by Israel Ramirez Pineda, alias ‘Pablo Beltran’.