Diálogo entre Gobierno colombiano y ELN con garantes previo a reunión extraordinaria en Caracas.

Representatives from the Colombian government and the guerrilla group National Liberation Army (ELN) held talks on Friday in Caracas with representatives from the guarantor and accompanying countries of the peace negotiations, ahead of the extraordinary meeting that will begin on Saturday, the armed group’s press team told EFE.

Although the discussions were scheduled to start on Friday, the source explained that the first day was used for deliberations with the mediators of the process, without direct dialogue between the conflict parties.

Likewise, it is expected that the representatives of Gustavo Petro’s government and the guerrilla group will begin the «extraordinary round» of conversations on Saturday, which will extend until April 22.

Asked about reports of a suspension of the meeting in some media outlets, the ELN press team assured EFE that there has been no such interruption and, on the contrary, it is «normal» for the parties to have spent the first day in dialogue with the accompanying and guarantor countries.

This week, the ELN requested an «extraordinary meeting» instead of a normal cycle due to the «critical state» of the peace process, which, in the opinion of the armed group, is in a «state of freeze.»

The government delegation, led by Vera Grabe, traveled to Caracas on Wednesday, while the guerrilla team arrived in Venezuela on Thursday led by the chief negotiator, Israel Ramírez Pineda, alias ‘Pablo Beltrán’, but also by the group’s top commander, Eliécer Herlinto Chamorro, alias ‘Antonio García’, who is not part of the negotiating delegation.

During the meeting, as explained by the government delegation, topics from the agenda will be addressed, such as participation, ceasefire, territorial transformations, and fundamental decisions about the future of the process.

The negotiations, which restarted in November 2022 after a four-year freeze, have experienced several ups and downs, but both parties maintain a ceasefire that extends until August 3.