The National Liberation Army (ELN) — a Marxist insurgency group that formed in the early ’60s — and the Colombian government agreed to the longest ceasefire in their history earlier this month, reports CNN.
Though ELN and Columbia, which was granted “Major Non-NATO Ally” status last year by the Biden administration, have been in dialogue since 2012, this new agreement is only the second successfully negotiated between the two parties.
While the ceasefire is in effect, the United Nations and the Catholic Church will serve as monitors, ensuring that the agreement is upheld. Bogotá and ELN could extend the ceasefire beyond its February 2024 expiration date if both groups find it satisfactory. (READ MORE from Mason Stauffer: Honduras Heralds Growth of Chinese Influence in the Western Hemisphere)
The monthslong negotiations were held in Venezuela, Mexico, and Cuba. When the agreement comes into effect on Aug. 3, both parties will return to Venezuela to continue negotiations, with the aim of establishing a lasting peace.
Marxist Movements in Colombia
Though not yet permanent, the ceasefire agreement is significant, as the conflict has been ongoing since ELN’s founding as a Marxist insurgency in the early 1960s. The group has a substantial presence in the country. According to the CIA, ELN has around 5,000 members, is active in 50 percent of Colombia’s departments, and has spilled over the border into parts of Venezuela.
ELN is currently the largest rebel faction in Colombia, but the nation is no stranger to insurgencies. Until a 2016 peace deal with Bogotá, the country’s largest insurgency was the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. That agreement put an end to half a century of guerilla violence, according to CNN.
Colombia’s 2022 election also had an impact on the ceasefire with ELN, as the country’s newly elected president, Gustavo Petro, is a former guerilla fighter, having been part of the Marxist insurgency M-19 for 17 years. The group turned into a legitimate political party in 1990 following a peace agreement with Bogotá that Petro promoted.
Looking to Colombia’s Future
Some observers see several shortcomings in the agreement. An analyst at the International Crisis Group told Al Jazeera that since the ceasefire is between the Colombian government and ELN, the insurgency is still free to fight other militant groups or conduct campaigns among the civilian population. With the government leaving ELN alone, it could increase “their ability to consolidate their control on the ground.”
Despite its flaws, Fox News reports that the Colombian president and ELN hope this ceasefire points to a safer political atmosphere.
“You have here proposed a bilateral agreement, and I agree with that, but Colombian society has to be able debate it, and to participate,” Petro said.
One of ELN’s top negotiators asserted, “This effort to look for peace is a beacon of hope that conflicts can be resolved politically and diplomatically.”
Halfway through earning a master’s in national security at the Institute of World Politics, Mason Stauffer is part of The American Spectator’s 2023 intern class. When he isn’t preparing for his future career in the national security sector, Mason can usually be found hiking through the National Park System or playing his trumpet.