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July 12th, 2017 
Awake Goy 
Christof Lehmann (nsnbc) : Colombian government chief negotiator Juan Camilo Restrepo warned that the ELN must agree to a verifiable ceasefire and that ongoing negotiations between the government and the ELN were “its last chance”. The posturing comes up to the next round of peace talks scheduled for July 24, and against the backdrop of the government’s failure to provide security for grassroots activists and leftist politicians, as well as deteriorating bilateral relations between Colombia and Venezuela.
Posturing before the next round of peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN), Juan Camilo Restrepo warned that “time is running out” and that a ceasefire would not be agreed upon unless cessation of hostilities could be properly verified. “The ELN never disagreed with such a verification mechanism”, said a source with close ties to the ELN to nsnbc international. “In fact, the ELN would appreciate such a mechanism, especially if the government also assured security against right-wing paramilitaries in areas where the guerrilla has ceased operating. … What is really disturbing, is that Restrepo and the government now seem to use tensions between Colombia and Venezuela as yet another pretext to stall peace talks, and to blame it on the ELN and Venezuela,” she added.
Restrepo said the government has offered a ceasefire with the ELN “on condition of a resounding, verifiable, and clear commitment to cease hostilities with civil society” which includes renouncing kidnappings, recruiting minors, the planting of anti-personnel mines, and attacks on infrastructure. Ironically, while offering a ceasefire, Restrepo also insisted that “While signing a ceasefire, the Colombian Armed Forces and its intelligence forces will continue to repress, with vigor and energy, as they have been doing, all the terrorist, criminal activities of the ELN”. Restrepo also claimed that the ELN profited immensely from the chaos in neighboring Venezuela and had seized control over smuggling routes and the parallel economy in the border region”. That statement, however, comes, not as the ELN significantly increased such activities, but as bilateral relations between Bogota and Caracas continue to deteriorate.
In March 2016 the Colombian government and the ELN met in Caracas, Venezuela, announce the launch of official peace talks in May 2016.
A comprehensive agreement on launching peace talks was signed between the Colombian government and the ELN, in March 2017. The initial date set for the launch of the peace talks was May 2016. However, there have been numerous delays and peace talks did not start before early 2017.
With regard to the “vigor” with which Restrepo said the Colombian Armed Forces and its intelligence would crack down on the ELN’s “terrorist and criminal activities”, it is worth noting that the ELN repeatedly complained over the military’s cooperation with right-wing paramilitaries and the failure to provide security for grassroots activists and leftist politicians in traditionally “rebel” controlled areas. The problem has also been highlighted in a documentary (here). It should also be noted that the ELN offered to remove anti-personnel mines, together with the military. Such cooperation would, however, be problematic as long as the military either cooperates with right-wing-paramilitaries, uses armed forces against the ELN, or fails to provide security in areas where the ELN – sooner or later – might disarm.
CH/L – nsnbc 12.07.2017
Source Article from https://nsnbc.me/2017/07/12/colombian-government-backtracks-before-peace-talks-with-eln-in-quito-on-july-24/
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