Cuba welcomes the commitment of the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army to peace

HAVANA, January 21 (EFE): Cuba’s Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez, welcomed this Saturday the Colombian government and ELN fighters’ “commitment” to peace after meeting in Caracas.

“We salute the commitment of the government and the ELN to advance the common goal of peace in Colombia, as demonstrated by the extraordinary meeting that concluded today in Caracas,” the foreign minister wrote on Twitter.

The Cuban diplomat referred to today’s meeting in the Venezuelan capital, in which the two sides announced that they would discuss the possibility of a bilateral ceasefire, starting from February 13.

By that date, the second round of dialogue that began in Venezuela last November should begin in Mexico.

The two representatives arrived in Caracas on Tuesday in search of a “permanent peace” that would allow the current crisis in the talks to be overcome.

The crisis erupted after Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced a bilateral ceasefire, which was rejected by the National Liberation Army days later.

The negotiations, which resumed last November after a four-year freeze, took place in Caracas, accompanied by a representative of the United Nations and the Colombian Bishops’ Conference.

The parties ratified Venezuela, Cuba and Norway as guarantors of the process. EFE

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