Colombian Government Halts Peace Talks with ELN After Deadly Attack

Colombia's government has suspended peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN) following an attack that killed two soldiers and injured more than two dozen people. This setback heavily impacts President Gustavo Petro's total peace policy, which aimed to end decades of armed conflict involving the ELN.

Colombia's government has officially suspended peace talks with the leftist rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), after a recent attack resulted in the deaths of two soldiers and injuries to over two dozen individuals. This information was confirmed by the government's peace delegation on Wednesday.

The abrupt cessation of talks marks a significant setback for President Gustavo Petro's ambitious total peace policy, which sought to bring an end to the ELN's involvement in Colombia's six-decades-long internal armed conflict. The government emphasized that the peace process is now in jeopardy and can only proceed if the ELN makes a clear and unequivocal commitment to peace.

The government had resumed negotiations with the ELN in late 2022, conducting six rounds of talks in Mexico, Cuba, and Venezuela. The attack that led to the suspension of talks occurred on Tuesday in a rural part of Arauca province, which lies along the Venezuelan border.