Patiño told Colombia Hoy Radio that the Government’s members would not be the ones to stand at the negotiating table and insisted that while more military actions and harassment they carry out, the voice of the delegates would be less reliable.

The chief negotiator referred to the ELN attack on the army platoon in Catatumbo on Wednesday, when seven soldiers and two non-commissioned officers were killed.

Total peace is not only a banner; it is a goal of this Government. Although the bilateral ceasefire with the Gulf Clan or the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia has been broken, the Government continues negotiating with them amid fire, the politician stressed.

For this reason, he emphasized, the Government will not give up seeking total peace and preserving the lives of the population, the combatants themselves, and the Colombian armed institutions, whose commitment is evident.

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