ELN Demands Removal From List of Organized Armed Groups

Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN), a leftist guerrilla group originally founded in 1964 that has been in conflict with the government since its inception, demanded that the government of President Gustavo Petro remove the group from the list of Organized Armed Groups (GAO), an issue previously brought up between the ELN's representatives in the peace process with the Colombian government..Rising Tensions.This demand follows tense negotiations between the armed group and the Colombian government following the expiration of a ceasefire with the ELN on August 3, 2024. Prior to the expiration, tensions between the two remained heavy following the government's decision to enter into separate peace talks with the ELN's Nariño front, a move the national leadership ultimately rejected. The government defended its decision, accusing the ELN of dragging its feet in regard to establishing a long-term ceasefire with the end goal of total disarmament and disbandment..The ELN, on the other hand, has claimed the Nariño front is in reality a part of the government's plan to target the group's command structure in one of the group's publications, Insurreccion 947. The group claims that the peace talks with the Narino front have only matured due to the supposed government agent's failure to target core leadership of the ELN..Furthermore, the publication states that this issue was brought up by the organization's official negotiators at meetings with the Colombian government but were ultimately ignored, resulting in the ELN leaving the talks..The ELN demanded the Colombian government remove the group from the GAO by August 23, although the armed group failed to state what the consequences for failing to remove the ELN from the list are. During this period regarding the ELN's continued presence in the GAO, Antonio García, the First Commander of the ELN, attacked Otty Patiño, the co-founder of the armed leftist group known as M-19 and the current Minister of Peace, in particular, stating the minister "receives directives from the United States and the Armed Forces."."Under this direction, what is sought is the proliferation of paramilitary groups of all kinds and the improvement of their territorial positions, supported and coordinated by the State's armed forces," García stated in a post on X. "The aim is to undermine peace initiatives through media manipulation and militarily dismember the ELN.".Patiño responded during a session within the Colombian Congress, stressing that peace talks with the ELN are in the midst of the worst crisis since talks began.."Peace with this sum of violence is always going to be in crisis, it is the characteristic, we cannot assume that there will be a quiet peace, it will always be subjected to the crises that means achieving understanding with the armed actors," the minister stated..These peace talks are a part of a much larger effort by President Gustavo Petro to end the decades long armed conflict within Colombia known as the Colombian Conflict. This effort, which has been described by the president as a plan to bring "total peace" to Colombia, consists of negotiating numerous ceasefires with armed groups across Colombian with the hope of securing the groups' eventual disarmament and disbandment, such as a previous peace deal reached with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in 2016 under President Juan Manuel Santos..This plan has suffered numerous setbacks, with the ELN leaving peace negotiations and resuming operations against security forces while a ceasefire with a faction of the FARC who refused to disarm in 2016, known as the Estado Mayor Central (FARC-EMC), was dissolved in March leading to a prolonged period of violence across southern Colombia..The dissolution of the ceasefire in March followed an attack against an indigenous community which ultimately left two injured and a community leader dead. After the dissolution of the ceasefire, the government promptly restarted military action against the armed group, leading to an increase in attacks against government forces as the FARC-EMC attempted to pressure the government into reentering a ceasefire..Despite these efforts to force the Colombian government to reenter peace talks, Colombia's Defense Minister, Ivan Velasquez, stressed that the government would not reenter peace talks with the FARC-EMC in April.."No matter how much pressure these illegal organizations try to exert, we will not back down from the decision to suspend the ceasefire. Offensive operations by the Public Force [military and national police] will continue," Velasquez stated.."This organization has only filled the communities in these departments with anguish and suffering, and it is precisely because of these criminal actions against the population that the government, the President of the Republic, decreed the suspension of the cessation. And no matter how much pressure is intended to be exerted, we are not going to decline this decision taken to suspend the cessation and develop offensive operations by the Public Force," Velasquez continued..Despite numerous setbacks, the Ministry of Peace recently reached a windfall ceasefire with another faction of dissident members of the FARC known as Second Marquetalia on July 1, 2024. The deal has facilitated the planned release of hostages held by Second Marquetalia while also setting up a framework for to negotiate a long-term ceasefire..These peace talks were reportedly not intended to achieve a full disarmament of the Second Marquetalia, but to achieve a "de-escalation of violence in the territories where they [Second Marquetalia] operate," according to Otty Patino, Colombia's High Commissioner for Peace. Armando Novoa, who led Colombia's peace delegation, told Reuters that the government hopes to arrange a long-term peace deal before Petro leaves office in 2026..As Colombia's fragile peace continues to fracture, the future of the nation remains unknown amid increasing attacks from armed groups across the country. These groups have only grown stronger since their periods of relative peace with authorities, with the guerillas seizing the period of reprieve to increase their manpower, narcotics production and distribution networks, and extort those living in rural Colombia with little interference.