Colombian president suspends peace talks with ELN guerrillas following deadly clashes

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on Friday the suspension of peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group following a series of deadly attacks in the Catatumbo region, in the northeast of the country.

"The actions carried out by the ELN in Catatumbo constitute war crimes," the president said on X. "The dialogue process with this group is suspended, as the ELN has demonstrated a lack of commitment to peace."

The decision follows a spate of violence in the region, including a recent massacre in the municipality of Tibú that claimed the lives of at least 20 civilians, including a nine-month-old baby. This incident involved a family targeted by assailants traveling on motorcycles.

On Thursday, four former FARC guerrilla combatants, who had signed the 2016 Peace Agreement, were killed, and three more former combatants were reported dead in subsequent attacks.

These clashes, which have broken a previous truce between the two armed groups, occurred in a border region with Venezuela, where armed groups have historically operated across the border.

Negotiations with the ELN were a cornerstone of Petro's ambitious "Total Peace" policy, which aimed to engage in simultaneous dialogue with all armed groups operating within the country.

But he peace talks have been stalled since May, and the previous ceasefire expired on Aug. 3. Since then, the ELN has been implicated in numerous attacks, including a significant assault on a military base in Puerto Jordan, Arauca, on Sept.17, which resulted in the deaths of two soldiers and injuries to 26 others.

On Thursday, Colombia's High Commissioner for Peace, Otty Patino, publicly accused the ELN guerrilla of plotting to assassinate Alvaro Jimenez, another peace negotiator.

The current peace process had a two-year timeframe, concluding with the end of Petro's term.