A bilateral cease-fire announced by President Gustavo Pedro with five criminal groups has failed with one of them. The ELN said this Tuesday that it had not reached any agreement with the administration to suspend harassment.
“The ELN delegation for negotiations has not discussed any proposal for a bilateral ceasefire with the government of Gustavo Pedro, so there is still no agreement on this matter,” the guerrilla central command added. “It only conforms to what was discussed and agreed upon at the dialogue table where we participate. A unilateral government mandate cannot be accepted as an agreement.”
(Except: (Will the government pay the political cost after the failed ceasefire with the ELN?)
According to Interior Minister Alfonso Prada, Sierra Nevada, when reporting on the agreement with President Pedro Elen and the agreement with Farc, Segunda Marquetalia, “Clan del Golfo” and dissidents of the Armed Forces, It did so because the guerrillas “highlighted on several occasions the importance of advancing a bilateral ceasefire”.
For example, he recalled that on December 19, when they announced a unilateral ceasefire, they asked the government to study a bilateral ceasefire, according to their will and peace.
President Gustavo Pedro
(Also read: Government suspends decree of bilateral ceasefire with ELN and calls for a fight)
“Under this understanding, the Colombian government decreed a bilateral moratorium,” Prada commented.
But it makes it clear that there is no such agreement as the national government has repeatedly claimed.
This situation culminated in the suspension of the decree which made possible a ceasefire between the general forces and the ELN, so the military offensive could continue. Also, Pratha, who is the government spokesperson, He realized that he had to be careful and cautious.
“After reviewing the events of the last 48 hours and the last 50 years, we recognize that these processes are very complex, we must proceed with great caution, great prudence, caution, but under no circumstances. We exclude that there is a reaction from the opposite party, which must be observed. Should, it should be answered in some way
(In the background: ELN denies agreeing to bilateral ceasefire with government)
A possible bilateral ceasefire will now be evaluated during talks between the government and the guerrillas, which will begin their second cycle in Mexico in the coming weeks. For now, the government has told the guerrillas to consider a ceasefire for the well-being of communities.
Matthew Garcia
Political writing
