The Colombian government and the ELN extend the cycle of negotiations in Cuba

2023-05-25 23:30:02

BOGOTÁ (AP) — The government of President Gustavo Petro and the National Liberation Army (ELN) announced on Thursday the extension of the current cycle of negotiations taking place in Cuba until June 8, one week more than what was agreed.

According to a joint statement, the decision is due to the importance of the issues that are currently being addressed at the talks table and that have to do with the bilateral ceasefire and citizen participation mechanisms.

Although the guerrilla group has emphasized the importance of defining these mechanisms for citizen participation, for the government the priority point of this cycle of talks in Havana is to specify the ceasefire.

Petro, the first left-wing president in the history of Colombia, has proposed that this ceasefire begin in a certain region of the country, for example, in the departments of Putumayo or Nariño, to later be extended to the entire national territory.

The president’s idea is that verification mechanisms can be agreed upon in those specific regions so that a similar and effective model can then be applied throughout the country.

1685057678
#Colombian #government #ELN #extend #cycle #negotiations #Cuba