EXPLORATORY TALKS OF PEACE
Colombia has the longest history of ongoing political violence in Latin America. In June 2014, Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos had begun exploratory peace talks with ELN rebels, but formal peace talks have yet to begin
Kline (2012) states: “During the presidency of Alfonso Lopez Michelsen, the government tried, for the first time, to open negotiations with guerilla groups. This effort was frustrated by the systematic blocking by the Columbian military, of any negotiations of the government with the ELN, which the military thought it would soon annihilate” (p.297).
Peace talks with the ELN and Colombian government have been on and off for decades, with no real outcome or solution
While FARC has suspended airstrikes, the government has intensified ground and air operations against ELN. This comes in the context of the government and the ELN having been engaged in secret back-channel negotiations for more than 12 months, but formal talks are yet to get underway
MORE ATTACKS
January 2015 – ELN makes attacks against commercial assets include setting a truck on fire to block the road between Medellin and Quibdó
In the meantime, the ELN has continued to carry out attacks and kidnapping activities. ELN atttacks have increased by 15% in 2014, from 349 acts in 2013 to 401 in 2014
THE ROAD TO PEACE
In order to finally end ELN violence, a major political negotiation is in order. The only way to establish this is through a political process and to finally start a true dialogue and not simply explore talks.
A quote from Nicolás Rodríguez Bautista, known as Gabino, top commander of ELN, when he gave an exclusive interview to The Spectator:
“the fact is that it means that a political solution to achieve peace requires listening to communities and are these protagonists of the process, as it were in a table must be assumed a social agenda that collect their struggles and claims; today we must reaffirm as essential to stand the agenda for peace and overcoming conflict issue.”
To read the full interview click here:
President Santos sees the negotiation of an agreement as key to his political future, former president Uribe, has been doing everything possible to sabotage the negotiations. Many believe this is the best change in years, perhaps the best chance ever, to negotiate peace in Colombia. Taken from New Politics article
Kline. H. (2012). Historical Dictionary of Columbia: Historical Dictionary of the Americas.Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press.