The Colombian ELN guerrilla, which resumed peace negotiations with the government of Gustavo Petro in November, announced on Sunday a “unilateral ceasefire” for the end-of-year holidays, according to a press release published by the guerrilla and the government. The truce “will begin on December 23 at 12:00 a.m. (6:00 a.m. in Switzerland) and end on January 3, 2025 at 12:00 a.m. (6:00 a.m. in Switzerland)”, indicated the National Liberation Army (ELN) in the text published on the social network .
This ceasefire is a “gesture of peace for the Colombian people” on the occasion of the “Christmas and New Year holidays,” the press release added. The ELN has announced similar holiday truces in recent years. President Petro shared the same statement on his X account with the following message: “Ending the war is the national goal for 2025.” The ELN said it had instructed its units “not to carry out offensive military operations against the armed forces of the state”.
The government and the ELN resumed peace talks in November that were suspended in September after the rebels attacked a military base, which left three soldiers dead and 28 wounded. The ELN has some 5,800 members in the country, according to military intelligence.
President Petro began talks with the ELN in late 2022, after becoming Colombia's first left-wing president. But this peace process is making little progress, due to continued attacks by rebels and differences at the negotiating table.
