Colombia on the brink: ELN guerrilla group prepares for return to war
As Abelardo de la Espriella takes office as president vowing a new military offensive, the country’s last leftwing rebels are getting ready to fight back As the boat approached the riverbank, camouflaged figures watched from the tree line. Behind them, in the dim understory of the jungle, a commander of the National Liberation Army (ELN) sat with his rifle on his lap, amid the buzz and whine of…
Colombia's 62-year old armed conflict is on the brink of a new chapter as the country's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, vows to end peace talks and launch a military offensive against guerrilla groups. Colombia's last leftwing rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), is preparing for a return to war. The ELN commander, identified as Yerson, declared that his troops will carry out offensive actions where possible, including attacks in cities and rural areas if instructed by the ELN leadership.
The ELN spokesperson emphasized that attacks in the San Juan River, Chocó department, where the group has strongholds, are necessary to control resources and population. The ELN's conflict with Colombia began in the 1960s due to extreme land inequality and exclusionary politics. Both the ELN and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have carried out killings and kidnappings, forcing civilian displacement.
While the FARC demobilized in 2016 after a peace deal, the ELN remains adamant about laying down arms only after a transformation of the political and economic system. De la Espriella, a Trump-admiring former criminal lawyer, has given Colombia's armed groups a month to submit or face consequences, promising to deepen security cooperation with the US and build mega-prisons.
Analysts, however, believe armed groups have gathered strength and resources in recent years. The ELN consists of about 6,300 members, with a mix of men and women, indigenous and Afro-Colombian members, and various weapons, including assault rifles and sniper rifles. Despite the promise of "total peace" by leftist President Gustavo Petro in 2022, talks with the ELN and other armed groups have stalled or collapsed.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian's reporting — not their text. Machine-written; read the original for the full account.
