In total secrecy,the meeting was held by the parties in order to solve the differences that arose at the end of the year after the announcement of the “Cease Fire”, by Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
The groups met once again on October 4th and agreed to restart peace talks the following month in Venezuela, after President Nicolás Maduro accepted Petro’s proposal to act as a guarantor country.
On December 31st, Petro notified the bilateral ceasefire with five armed organizations, including the National Liberation Army, for six months.
Two days later, the guerrillas stated in a dispatch that there was still no agreement in this regard and detailed on their website that after the end of the first cycle of talks, they only agreed on the institutionalization of the Desk. They also spoke of adjustments to the Agenda, taken to consultations, both to the president and to the Central Command.
The head of the working group of the Colombian Executive, Otty Patiño, announced that the second cycle of talks will begin in Mexico in mid-February.
The ELN also confirmed the meeting on Twitter, aimed at addressing “clarities to overcome the crisis generated and the harmonious evolution of the second cycle.”
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