Colombia: National Liberation Army announces break of month-long ceasefire

The National Liberation Army in Colombia, better known as the ELN, announces it will be resuming its five decades old armed struggle, after a month long ceasefire, taking account of the Coronavirus.

By James Blears

In a statement the ELN blames the Colombian Government and more specifically President Ivan Duque, for a lack of a tangible response to its ceasefire olive branch declaration on March 30th. The truce ends on Mayday. It says Government representatives showed little or no enthusiasm for revamping the peace talks, which were taking place in Havana, Cuba. There`s now an issue of how the ELN negotiators are going to gain safe passage home.

Listen to James Blears' report

UN Special Envoy Carlos Ruiz Massieu, is appealing directly to the ELN, to further extend, rather than scrap the ceasefire, as a gesture of goodwill. Thus far it's held.

The ELN, which was founded in 1964, is the largest remaining hostile guerrilla group, still waging war against the Colombian Government. The larger, more numerous and more powerful Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia...the FARC, signed a peace agreement in 2016, and has since evolved into a political party.

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