ELN Denies Alleged Plan to Attack Colombian Prosecutor

The guerrilla of the National Liberation Army (ELN), said on Wednesday the alleged plan to attack the attorney general, Francisco Barbosa, is not true and that such an accusation seeks to sabotage the peace talks.

RELATED:
Petro Reaffirms Commitment to Social Justice in Colombia

"The news delivered by Prosecutor Barbosa is false. With it, he is trying to sabotage the dialogue process that is being developed between the Government and the ELN", the ELN Delegation of Dialogues said on social networks. 

The Colombian Prosecutor's Office denounced the day before that the ELN is training its members to produce an attack with snipers against the prosecutor. Military intelligence of the Armed Forces, the Technical Investigation Corps of the Prosecutor's Office (CTI) and a Judicial Police officer reported the alleged attack, the prosecutor's office said.

According to the ELN, what is sought is to sabotage the peace talks. In this regard, the guerrilla group said, "It is no coincidence that on August 3, the day of the installation of the participation of society in the peace process and the ceasefire, the Attorney General's Office has launched the news about the son of the president."

The tweet reads, "The news delivered by prosecutor Barbosa is false. With it he is trying to sabotage the dialogue process that is taking place between the Government and the ELN."

Last week, one of the hearings against the son of the Colombian president, Nicolás Petro, took place after he was charged with money laundering and illicit enrichment.

The Colombian government and ELN have held three rounds of negotiations held in La Havana, Cuba, and agreed on a bilateral ceasefire, that began on August 3, with a duration of 180 days.

Venezuelan government rejects any attempt to sabotage peace process in Colombia

Concerning the alleged attack against prosecutor Barbosa, the government of Venezuela reaffirmed its "commitment to continue supporting the process of total peace in Colombia." In a statement, the government referred to some sectors that "attempt to undermine the peace process that is currently underway in the Republic of Colombia."

It added that an investigation has been ordered to establish the truth in the face of those who "try to build a matrix of opinion on the use of our territory to generate instability and terrorist actions."

Likewise, Venezuela urged the government of Colombia and all those involved in the peace process "to continue to support the commitments acquired in terms of the total peace plan, and to reject any attempt to sabotage it."