Colombia-ELN's 3rd Cycle of Peace Negotiations Continue

On Thursday, the Cuban authorities announced the postponement of the closing session of the third cycle of negotiations between the Colombian government and the guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN), which continues to take place in Havana.

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"We hopefully accompany five weeks of hard work between the parties. There is a firm path towards peace," said Eugenio Martinez, the Cuban Foreign Ministry's Latin America director.

This cycle of talks began in the first week of May and will conclude with a closing ceremony to which Colombian President Gustavo Petro is expected to attend. The date of this ceremony has not yet been specified but it is expected to be soon.

"I am going to Cuba for something that can be very important for the Colombian history. I am going to sign a paper that can mean the beginning without retreat of an era of peace," he said

Given that this is the first time that Petro will participate in a negotiation round, the press has expectations of the long-awaited announcement of the bilateral ceasefire.

During negotiations, the ELN has called for a "national, bilateral ceasefire," which should include "parastatal forces and criminal groups." This ceasefire would be preliminary because the final one would be achieved only with the final agreement.

For its part, the Colombian government considers that the ceasefire should have a limited geographical limitation in order to be verifiable.

It should also cover hostilities and harm against the civilian population such as threats, confinement, forced displacement, and the recruitment of minors.

The peace talks began in November 2022 in Caracas, where the parties agreed to promote humanitarian relief in some of the regions hardest hit by the armed conflict.

The second cycle of talks, held between February and March in Mexico City, concluded with the government's recognition of the ELN's political status as a "rebel armed organization."