Cuba to host peace talks between Colombia, ELN rebels

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - The Colombian government announced Wednesday that Cuba has agreed to host the third cycle of peace talks between Bogota and the National Liberation Army (ELN).

“The peace delegations of the Colombian Government and the ELN deeply thank the Cuban Government and its people for the unconditional willingness and fundamental support that, for more than four decades, they have given to the peacebuilding efforts in Colombia,” said the office of the High Commissioner for Peace, Danilo Rueda, in a statement.

The first cycle of talks took place in Venezuela between November and December last year and the second cycle has been held in Mexico City since Feb. 13.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said Wednesday that it was an “honor” for Cuba to hold a new round of peace talks in Havana.

“Our government is honored to accept the official request from the Colombian Government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) in order to hold the Third Cycle of the Peace Dialogues and to contribute to reaching the sought-after peace for our sister nation,” he wrote on Twitter.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has promised to work to achieve “total peace” in Colombia in a project which aims to bring together various armed groups operating in the country to initiate peace negotiations with all of them to end 60 years of violent conflict in the country.

Negotiations with the ELN began in 2017 in Ecuador’s capital Quito during the government of Juan Manuel Santos, and in 2018 they were moved to Havana, where the group´s main leaders lived.

The talks were interrupted in 2019 by former President Ivan Duque a day after the group carried out a bombing at a police academy in Bogota that killed 21 officers.