Colombian government and rebels reach ceasefire agreement

The government of Colombia and the guerrilla group National Liberation Army (ELN) announced a ceasefire agreement this Friday (9), after a third round of peace talks, held from May 2 to June 9 in Havana, capital of Cuba. The ceasefire will come into effect on August 3 and will last for 180 days. Negotiations for peace in Colombia will be progressive until the final agreement, in May 2025. A fourth round will take place in Venezuela between August 14 and September 4. In addition to the ceasefire, the agreement provides for the creation of the National Participation Committee, which will include the intervention of 30 sectors of Colombian society. The announcement of the ceasefire is good news for Colombian President Gustavo Petro (left), who faces accusations of financial irregularities in his election campaign, which threatens his projects for political and social reforms. The president, who was in Cuba for the announcement of the ceasefire, promised, at the beginning of his term, an ambitious plan for total peace in the South American country, which has long been plagued by internal conflicts. “Here ends a phase of armed insurgency in Latin America, with its myths and realities,” Petro told participants at the ceremony in Havana. “The world of weapons and killing each other needs to end,” he added. The conflict in Colombia, which has lasted nearly six decades, has already killed at least 450,000 people. According to Petro, human rights and international humanitarian law guide the agreement The priority will be to achieve the protection of the civilian population in conflict areas, starting with children. “The National Agreement has one objective: to achieve a fairer society”, he wrote in a publication on social networks. Negotiation The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the The Brazilian government received the agreement announcement with great satisfaction. In a note, the ministry defended the option for the negotiated path for the peaceful resolution of conflicts. vigorous towards sustainable peace in Colombia. Brazil reiterates its commitment to the ongoing negotiations and renews its commitment to continue supporting the parties so that the aspirations of Colombian society, as well as the countries of the region, for definitive and integral peace are realized ”, says the statement. On social media, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva congratulated the neighboring country, in particular Colombian President Gustavo Petro. “A fundamental step in the construction of peace for the Latin American peoples and a reaffirmation of South America’s vocation for peace”, wrote Lula. I congratulate Colombia, in particular President @petrogustavo, for the ceasefire agreement with the ELN. A fundamental step in the construction of peace for the people of Latin America and a reaffirmation of South America’s vocation for peace. — Lula (@LulaOficial) June 10, 2023 *With information from Reuters

Agência Brasil