A peace dialogue between the Colombian Government and the National Liberation Army guerrillas continues, even as a later attack in the Catatumbo area claimed nine soldiers and left nine more wounded.
President Gustavo Petro had planned a round of consultations with the government delegation negotiating with the ELN. He announced on social media that he had summoned the government delegation to the ELN desk, the guarantor countries, and their partners for consultation. The president stressed that a peace process must be serious and accountable to Colombian society. The Presidency clarified that this call does not mean a freeze in talks and that the government would “pull off the table,” with a final decision expected next Monday after discussions with negotiators and guarantor nations.
The military reported that the attack targeted soldiers from Special Energy and Road Battalion No. 10 while they patrolled Guamalito, a hamlet in El Carmen municipality in Norte de Santander. Oil infrastructure has long been a frequent target for ELN actions. In the assault, a second corporal, a third corporal, and seven privates died; those ages ranged from 18 to 25. Regarding the wounded, Marta Isabel Pérez, director at the Duarte de Cúcuta Medical Clinic, indicated eight patients are recovering while one remains with a guarded prognosis.
Petro attributed the assault to those far from peace and to the people at large, without naming the ELN explicitly but implying that the strike could affect the dialogue table. Defense Minister Iván Velásquez described the attack as an act that does little to advance peace. (Attribution: official statements from the presidential press office and defense ministry)
no ceasefire
The ELN has carried out other attacks on public forces in Catatumbo and in the Arauca region since resuming talks with the government in November, but today’s event stands as the most severe to date.
Peace discussions have moved along a traveling table that has visited Caracas and Mexico and is expected to settle in Havana after Easter if conditions remain unchanged. The government has consistently pressed for a ceasefire, but the High Commissioner and other officials describe it as a central point on the Mexico route, framed as a political architecture intended to enable a dual pause in violence with the possibility of extension. Danilo Wheel of the Alto Office labeled continuation of violence as serving the interests of the conflict, urging that the ELN listen to Colombia’s communities who seek peace with social justice and an end to seeing each other as enemies.
Otty Patiño, head of the government’s peace delegation, stated that he would demand a ceasefire as a prerequisite for progress in other negotiation areas. He added that civil society participation should advance at the upcoming meeting with the president and that the ELN could participate in humanitarian efforts and related dynamics, provided it respected the humanitarian framework.
Beyond these incidents, the government’s lead negotiator noted continued harassment of civilians by armed groups. Communities in Cauca, Arauca, Chocó, and Nariño report violations of International Humanitarian Law, a pattern that undermines public confidence in the ELN’s commitment to peace and weakens trust in the negotiations and any signed agreements. (Source: statements from the peace delegation and human rights observers)
widespread rejection
Various political actors denounced the attack. Interior Minister Alfonso Prada called it an example of a lack of genuine will for peace. Senator Iván Cepeda, a negotiator and chair of the Peace Commission, emphasized that progress cannot come from assaults on soldiers or from damaging critical infrastructure such as oil pipelines. The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to Colombia, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, joined the chorus of condemnation, stating that all forms of violence hamper peace consolidation efforts. (Attribution: official statements and UN envoy remarks)