President Gustavo Petro announced through his Twitter account a bilateral ceasefire with armed groups in the country. “We have agreed to a bilateral cessation with the ELN, the Second Marquetalia, the Central Staff, the AGC and the Sierra Nevada Self-Defenses“, wrote.
(Lea: Petro says that groups that have shown a desire for peace must appoint spokespersons)
According to the Colombian president, the suspension will be from the January 1 to June 30, 2023. And it will be “extendable depending on the progress in the negotiations.” He concluded by saying that “total peace will be a reality.”
We have agreed to a bilateral cessation with the ELN, the Segunda Marquetalia, the Central General Staff, the AGC and the Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevada from January 1 to June 30, 2023, extendable depending on the progress of the negotiations.
Total peace will be a reality.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 1, 2023
President Petro published another trill in which he stated: “It is my wish at the end of the year that peace be possible.” And he adds: “This is a bold act. The bilateral ceasefire obliges the armed organizations and the State to respect it. There will be a national and international verification mechanism.”
It is my wish at the end of the year that peace be possible.
This is a bold act. The bilateral ceasefire obliges the armed organizations and the state to respect it. There will be a national and international verification mechanism.
May peace be between us. Happy New Year.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 1, 2023
Liberation of hostages and banners
A week ago, President Petro confirmed that the ELN, the Segunda Marquetalia, the Central General Staff of the FARC dissidents, the armed groups of the Sierra Nevada and Buenaventura had initiated a unilateral truce. “We hope that real peace processes are consolidated,” said the president.
Last Tuesday, December 27, it was learned that the Navy non-commissioned officer Camilo Andres Cordoba Arenaskidnapped by the ELN on December 13, had been released.
Days before, that guerrilla had announced a “Christmas truce” that began this Saturday, December 24, at 6 am, and will end at the same time on January 2. The Central Staff of the Farc dissidents, according to the High Commissioner for Peace, Danilo Rueda, announced a unilateral ceasefire until January 2, 2023.
The truth is also that before this announcement, threatening banners of the FARC dissidents were found in various areas of the country. In Tibú, for example, the National Army dismantled one that had been installed by the Jaime Martínez front of the dissidents. The presence of these illegal armed groups in this region began to be felt more strongly since last August, when the Petro government announced its intention to talk with the Eln.
total peace
The ‘full peace’ It is one of the great bets of President Gustavo Petro. At the beginning of November, the Head of State sanctioned the Ley 418which establishes the legal framework of the project.
With this law, the Government was authorized to advance negotiations with criminal organizations of political origin, but also to seek the submission of high-impact structures, such as criminal gangs. At that time, Petro assured: “There will be people who will negotiate with the courts the possibility of a peaceful dismantling of crime. There will be people who will negotiate with the government the options of ending an insurgent war, from many decades ago, which must end definitively, without echoes, so that Colombian society is the true owner of the country, the true owner of the destinies of Colombia, the real and peaceful democracy that we need in this country”.
The sanctioned text indicates that a high-level commission is in charge of studying which groups outside the law will have political status and which will not. Those of political origin could negotiate with the Government, while those without this characteristic could only submit to justice according to the parameters established by the State.
ELTIEMPO.COM