Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez inaugurated the 4th cycle of peace talks between the Colombian State and the National Liberation Army (ELN), which began in Caracas on Monday.
“As a guarantor country, Venezuela supports, with all its possibilities and without rest, President Gustavo Petro’s Total Peace policy,” she said, hoping that this policy “can lead us on the right path for a lasting peace that the people can feel it as their own.”
In this new rond, the parties hope to develop previously signed agreements such as the integration of civil society in the peace talks amid the 180-day bilateral ceasefire. Rodriguez said that she hopes that “humanitarian relief measures can be adopted for the communities impacted by this armed conflict. This is a humanitarian objective that cannot be postponed in order to reduce the effects of the conflict.”
The Bolivarian vice president welcomed the delegations of the Colombian State and ELN, which began a first cycle of talks in November 2022, after four years of absence of talks due to the stance adopted by the right-wing administration led by Ivan Duque (2018-2022).
Representatives of the guarantor countries, United Nations officials, and members of the Colombian Episcopal Conference were present at the fourth round’s opening ceremony.
“Peace is a matter that transcends armed organizations and administrations. It is a State matter and commits society in general. The Peace we are making with the ELN must contribute to the construction of a State with full democracy,” said Otty Patiño, chief negotiator for the Colombian State.
