The sixth round of peace negotiations between the Colombian government and the ELN (National Liberation Army) began this Monday (23), in Havana, with the aim of renewing the bilateral ceasefire agreed in August 2023.
“We hope that the sixth cycle of debates at the peace dialogue table between the delegations of the Colombian government and the ELN, which began today in Havana, will provide new advances on the path of the brotherly Colombian people towards peace, which Cuba will continue to support”, he published Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel on his profile on the social network X.
In the Cuban capital, the ELN delegation reported that they hope to “move forward and get closer to the transformations that Colombia needs”, so that “the changes that the country demands, the only possibility for building peace, come to fruition”.
Senator Iván Cepeda, member of the Executive’s peace delegation, was quoted by the local press and said that the goal, in addition to renewing the ceasefire, is “to ensure that its extension implies the fulfillment of very serious commitments in relation to the suspension kidnapping and advance social and citizen participation.”
This was the longest ceasefire signed between the parties to date, it began on August 3 and ends on January 29, amid a new cycle of dialogue, scheduled for February 6.
The Colombian government wants to extend the ceasefire and expand the types of prohibited actions. The ELN, for its part, stated that it seeks more guarantees that this measure will contribute to improving the living conditions of the civilian population in the regions most affected by the conflict.
The Havana cycle of debates, the second of these negotiations held in the Cuban capital, still needs to advance on other points that are open, such as society’s participation in the agreement and the elaboration and work in critical zones.
It was also defined that Bajo Cauca, the northeast of Antioquia and the south of Bolívar will be classified as critical zones, in a move that has seen no major advances in Mexico and is now expected to return in Havana.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
