The Facts
- Colombia’s largest rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), stated on Tuesday that it has ordered its units across the country to halt all offensive actions against the military, including intelligence efforts, on July 6, as both sides prepare for a ceasefire.
- Meanwhile, Defense Minister Iván Velásquez told reporters that the government would also issue a decree ordering the armed forces cease fighting against the 5,800-strong guerrilla group.
- This comes as a six-month truce, set to come into force on August 3, was agreed to in June during peace negotiations that began last November, as President Gustavo Petro has sought to bring the country's decades-long internal conflict to an end.
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The Spin
Left narrative
This long-awaited agreement is a step towards peace that reasserts the commitment of both the Colombian government and the ELN to solving a six-decade-long armed conflict continuing to plague the country. Unlike past processes, Petro's "total peace" is likely to finally bring the armed insurgency to an end as it will not persecute the guerrillas after they demobilize and disarm.
Right narrative
It's no coincidence that this announcement follows leaked conversations between top Colombian officials suggesting that drug cartels financially backed Petro ahead of the second round of voting last year. The ceasefire is merely a political stunt to divert public attention from an institutional crisis that has marred his administration's credibility.
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