Colombian guerilla fighting result in 9 deaths & 5 injuries

Since the weekend, peace talks between the Colombian government and the last active guerrilla fighting group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), have been taking place in the municipality of Puerto Rondon near the Venezuela border.

These negotiations are part of leftist President Gustavo Petro’s commitment to achieving “total peace” in Colombia, which also involves discussions with dissidents from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Colombia has endured over five decades of conflict involving the government, leftist guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries, drug cartels, and other criminal organizations.

The Arauca department, a region notorious for cocaine trafficking and illegal mineral mining due to a lack of security forces, has witnessed recurring violent clashes.

In Caracas, both the government and the ELN have identified “critical zones” in need of humanitarian assistance. These areas will be the focus of relief efforts aimed at advancing peace.

Government negotiator Otty Patino expressed optimism, stating that “we have reached new agreements that move us closer to the peace desired by all.”

ELN leader Pablo Beltran emphasized that the identified zones have suffered “attacks against communities” embroiled in the conflict.

The source of humanitarian aid for these areas remains unclear.

The Caracas agreement initially designates two communities, Bajo Calima and San Juan, in the eastern Cauca Valley for urgent attention, with others to follow.

These zones will receive “humanitarian actions” and “social development projects,” with delegations visiting the territories in the coming weeks to identify specific initiatives.

The ELN, which originated as a leftist ideological movement in 1964 but later turned to criminal activities such as kidnapping, extortion, violence, and drug trafficking, has approximately 5,800 combatants. The group primarily operates in the Pacific region and along the 2,200-kilometer (1,370-mile) border with Venezuela.

Official data reveals the ELN’s presence in over 200 municipalities, where ongoing conflicts have displaced communities.

In late May, around 1,500 people, predominantly from Indigenous communities, were forced to flee western Choco due to clashes between the ELN and the Gulf Clan, Colombia’s largest drug cartel.

Following the disarmament of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia in 2016, the ELN became the oldest armed group in the Americas. The group has engaged in unsuccessful negotiations with the last five Colombian governments.

During talks with Petro’s administration in Cuba, a ceasefire was agreed upon, which came into effect in August. Another round of negotiations, scheduled for Mexico at an unspecified date, is on the horizon.

As for the Colombian Popular Liberation Army (EMC), it comprises approximately 3,500 armed fighters. Over the weekend, the government and EMC announced the reactivation of a suspended ceasefire, although the precise commencement date remains unspecified.

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