Petro announces a ceasefire with the ELN, other guerrillas and paramilitary groups

Euskaraz irakurri: Petrok su etena iragarri du ELN, beste talde paramilitary eta gerrilla batzuekin

The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, has announced a “bilateral ceasefire” with the National Liberation Army (THE N), the dissidents of the FARC and paramilitary groups, which will be in force from January 1 to June 30th of 2023.

Said ceasefire will be “extendable depending on the progress in the negotiations,” the president added on his social networks.

In total there are five groups that announced the ceasefire: ELN, Central Staff of the dissidences of the FARCthe Second Marquetalia, the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AGC) and the paramilitaries of Sierra Nevada.

The president made the announcement through his social networks shortly before the end of 2022. “We have agreed a bilateral cessation with the ELN, the Second Marquetalia, the Central General Staff, the AGC (Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia) and the Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevada from January 1 to June 30, 2023, extendable depending on the progress in the negotiations. Total peace will be a reality,” Petro said on Twitter.

We have agreed to a bilateral cessation with the ELN, the Segunda Marquetalia, the Central General Staff, the AGC and the Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevada from January 1 to June 30, 2023, extendable depending on the progress of the negotiations.

Total peace will be a reality.

— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 1, 2023

Since he took office on August 7, Petro and his government have defended a “total peace” policy that has already managed to resume negotiations with the ELN in Caracas.

Following the announcement, the Secretary General of United Nations, António Guterres, has indicated that he “welcomes” the news. Guterres has considered that this measure is “an event that renews the hopes for lasting peace of the Colombian people in the New Year”, the date on which said agreement entered into force.