Report: Colombia's ELN 'Willing to Seek Peace' With Next President
The rebels said they will halt attacks on the military for four days and urged voters to cast ballots freely without foreign interference.
- On Monday, the National Liberation Army, or ELN, announced a unilateral ceasefire, instructing its fighters to halt attacks on the military from June 20 to June 23 ahead of Sunday's presidential election in Colombia.
- President Gustavo Petro's ally Sen. Iván Cepeda faces conservative lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, who received an endorsement from President Donald Trump earlier this month in the polarized contest.
- In its statement, the ELN said it respects citizens' "right to vote freely" and does not want to "threaten any of the candidates," while warning against foreign interference in the election.
- Last week, De la Espriella's campaign urged prosecutors to investigate alleged rebel coercion of voters in 109 remote municipalities, though Cepeda denied any involvement of rebel groups in his campaign.
- Canceling peace talks started under Petro is a key campaign promise for De la Espriella, who faces the ELN, which reportedly has more than 6,000 fighters in Colombia and Venezuela.
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Colombian Candidate De La Espriella is Accused of Corruption in Health Sector - teleSUR English
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Colombia: ELN guerrillas release two police officers four days before the presidential election
The National Liberation Army has released two agents who were kidnapped in 2025 and has warned: “We are ready to engage in dialogue; otherwise, we will continue the conflict.” This overture is conditional on the progressive candidate Cepeda, whilst the conservative candidate de la Espriella has ruled out any contact.
Exclusive: Colombia's ELN open to talks with new president, but says it can survive military offensive
Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels are willing to seek peace with whoever wins Sunday's presidential runoff, but are also confident they can survive a renewed military offensive promised by the right-wing frontrunner, the commander of one of the group's fronts told Reuters deep in the dense green jungle of Colombia's northwest.
Colombians living outside the country can already participate in the second presidential round that confronts Iván Cepeda and Abelardo de la Espriella to succeed Gustavo Petro for the period 2026-2030. Unlike what happens in Colombia, where the election day takes place in a single day, the citizenship that is abroad has a full week to exercise its right to vote in consulates and posts authorized by the electoral authorities.Continue reading
The uniforms were abducted in May 2025.
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