
Authorities reported that thirty people have been killed in violent clashes between rival leftist groups near Colombia’s volatile border with Venezuela, prompting President Gustavo Petro to suspend peace negotiations with the National Liberation Army (ELN).
The president accused the ELN of committing “war crimes” during this recent surge of violence, which also left 20 others injured. The clashes reportedly involved ELN members targeting dissidents from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in the country’s rugged, mountainous terrain.
This incident marks a significant political setback for Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, who has staked his political future on a “Total Peace” policy aimed at negotiating with armed groups that many Colombians view with disdain.
“We are suspending dialogue with this group because the ELN shows no willingness to make peace,” Petro stated.
While FARC signed a peace agreement in 2016 that concluded over 50 years of conflict, some members have continued to resist disarmament. Previous talks with the ELN were halted for several months last year following a deadly attack on a military base by the group, highlighting the ongoing challenges in achieving lasting peace in the region.