Colombian President announces ceasefire with rebel groups
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Gustavo Petro, Colombia's president announced a bilateral ceasefire with the National Liberation Army from January 1 until June 30.
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Colombia's government has agreed to a six-month ceasefire with the five main armed groups operating in the country. (AFP)
Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced a bilateral ceasefire with the National Liberation Army (ELN), the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and other rebel groups from January 1 to June 30.
"We have agreed to a bilateral ceasefire with ELN, the Segunda Marquetalia, the Central General Staff [of FARC], AGC [Gaitanist Self-Defense Forces of Colombia of Gulf Clan], and the Sierra Nevada Self-Defense Forces from January 1 to June 30, 2023, with the possibility of extending the agreement depending on the progress of the negotiations," Petro wrote on Twitter.
Hemos acordado un cese bilateral con el ELN, la Segunda Marquetalia, el Estado Mayor Central, las AGC y las Autodefensas de la Sierra Nevada desde el 1 de enero hasta el 30 de junio de 2023, prorrogable según los avances en las negociaciones.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 1, 2023
La paz total será una realidad.
The ELN and FARC declared a cease-fire in December until January 2 as part of the ongoing dialogue with Petro's government, which is seeking peace with armed groups in order to end the country's over 50-year armed conflict.
Similarly, a ceasefire was made in August by Petro, who suggested a multilateral ceasefire to all armed groups operating in the country in an effort to endorse peace and end decades of internal conflict.
Petro assumed office on August 7 and was a member of the M-19 insurgency - a militant faction that participated in the internal armed conflict between 1974-1990.
Colombia’s first leftist leader publicized the initiative during a visit to Ituango, a municipality in Antioquia's insurgency-plagued northwestern department.
