"Gustavo Petro's rise to power once again sparked hopes that the elusive goal of peace with the ELN, pursued by nearly every Colombian government this century, was finally attainable. The leftist president even signed an unprecedented six-month ceasefire with guerrilla commander Antonio Garcia in mid-2023, the first milestone in the now-weary policy of total peace."
"A year ago, Petro had no choice but to suspend talks with the ELN in the face of a ferocious offensive in the Catatumbo region, bordering Venezuela, where they have since clashed with dissident factions of the now-defunct FARC, resulting in over 80,000 displaced people. This enormous humanitarian catastrophe remains far from over."
"Colombia's Ombudsman Iris Marin reported Tuesday that 130 families, comprising approximately 300 people, had arrived in Cucuta, the capital of the troubled department of Norte de Santander, in recent days. They were fleeing clashes between the ELN and the so-called 33rd Front of the dissident groups."
Gustavo Petro signed a six-month ceasefire with ELN commander Antonio Garcia in mid-2023 as part of a total peace policy, but talks were suspended a year later after a ferocious offensive in Catatumbo. Clashes between the ELN and dissident FARC factions have driven over 80,000 people from their homes and produced ongoing humanitarian crises, including recent kidnappings and new displacements in Norte de Santander. Reports indicate hundreds more displaced between December 29 and January 2 and thousands at risk of confinement. A promised deployment of 30,000 soldiers has not stopped the fighting. Investigations show the ELN operates binationally across the porous Venezuela border.
Read at english.elpais.com
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