Colombia has suspended peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN) for the second time in less than a year, accusing the rebel group of being responsible for recent violence in the northeastern region of Catatumbo.
President Gustavo Petro announced the halt in negotiations on Friday, stating on his X account, “The dialogue process with this group is suspended, the ELN has no will for peace.” The suspension comes amid escalating clashes between the ELN and former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in Catatumbo, a region near the Colombia-Venezuela border.
The ELN has been expanding into areas left behind by FARC after the latter’s peace deal with the government in 2016. On Thursday, a former FARC leader accused the ELN of killing at least four former rebels. Authorities have launched an investigation into additional deaths.
President Petro condemned the ELN’s actions, calling them “war crimes” but did not provide further details on the allegations. The Colombian government previously suspended peace talks with the ELN in September 2022 after blaming the group for the deaths of two soldiers.
The peace negotiations began in November 2022 when Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, initiated talks with the ELN and other armed groups as part of his “total peace” policy. The ELN, founded in the 1960s by union leaders and university students inspired by the Cuban Revolution, is estimated to have around 6,000 fighters in Colombia and Venezuela. The group funds its activities primarily through drug trafficking and illegal gold mining.
