The National Liberation Army (ELN), Colombia’s largest remaining guerrilla group, is willing to restart peace negotiations with President Gustavo Petro’s government — or with the administration elected next year — provided that the commitments made in earlier rounds of talks are upheld, the group’s top commander said in responses to a Reuters questionnaire.
President Petro suspended talks in January after deadly clashes between the ELN and a rival armed faction in the northeast left more than 100 people dead and displaced around 55,000 residents. Although Petro halted negotiations, he has repeatedly signaled in recent months that he is ready to reopen dialogue.
ELN commander Eliecer Herlinto Chamorro, known as Antonio Garcia, insisted the group’s position has not changed: it remains open to dialogue, but rejects the idea of starting from scratch.
“It cannot be a clean slate,” Garcia said. “We understand that what was agreed is not with a government, but with the state … It is in our interest that what has been advanced can continue.”
Garcia, who is wanted by Colombian authorities and carries a military bounty of more than $1 million, did not indicate when he responded to the questionnaire.
Before the suspension, government and ELN negotiators had reached preliminary agreements on civil society participation in peace-building, humanitarian measures and development initiatives. Petro — elected in 2022 on a pledge to deliver “total peace” after decades of conflict that killed more than 450,000 people — reiterated in October and again last week that he wants the ELN back at the table. Speaking in Norte de Santander, a region where the ELN has significant influence, he urged the group to “make peace now.”
Key Sticking Points: Violence, Kidnapping and Disarmament
Major issues remained unresolved during the most recent round of talks. These include establishing a suspension of offensive actions, ending ELN kidnappings, and defining how to finance the peace process, possibly through a multi-donor fund.
The ELN, which the United States and European Union classify as a terrorist organization, has roughly 6,200 members. Security officials say the group’s history of kidnappings, drug trafficking and illegal mining, along with its diffuse command structure and internal disagreements, have derailed previous peace attempts. The ELN insists it acts with unified leadership.
Colombia will elect a new congress and Petro’s successor in the first half of next year, and analysts expect security and peace policy to be central issues. Petro’s broader strategy of negotiating with armed groups has produced uneven results, prompting him to promise major social and military interventions in some regions.
In a separate development, the government and the Clan del Golfo crime gang announced last week that the group’s fighters will begin concentrating in designated areas starting March 1, under an agreement reached in talks in Qatar.
Despite political uncertainty ahead of the 2025 elections, Garcia said the ELN remains committed to continuing whatever progress has already been made. “Everything done at the table has been public; there is nothing hidden,” he said. “The more society participates, the better.”
