Petro Names Maduro as Guarantor in ELN Peace Talks Across Two Nations

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Gustavo Petro spearheaded a layered diplomatic effort across Latin America, asking his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro, to serve as guarantor in negotiations between the Colombian state and the National Liberation Army, ELN, a Guevarist-inspired guerrilla group active since the mid-1960s. The invitation carried weight in both nations and signaled a renewed push for dialogue.

“Maduro accepts the guarantor role with the ELN once again. The aim is to work with commitment, guided by faith and the hope of all six million Colombians living in Venezuela,” the president stated after receiving Armando Benedetti, the Colombian ambassador to Caracas. Maduro noted that he was following a path set by his predecessor. “Like Commander Hugo Chávez did by securing peaceful, albeit difficult, agreements between then-President Álvaro Uribe and the FARC, the practice continues.”

In a letter to Maduro, Petro requested “your permission and cooperation in the peace process we are restarting.” The message echoed the framework agreement signed in Caracas in 2016 to launch talks with the ELN, a process that gradually gained momentum and produced concrete steps in later years.

Broad reporting from Radio Caracol in Bogotá indicated that several ELN members who were in Havana traveled to Caracas after Maduro gave his assent.

Once again, Venezuela recognizes its role as guarantor in negotiations and peace agreements with the ELN in Colombia. The overarching goal remains the total peace of the brotherly peoples in Colombia, the peace of the country, and the broader region.

– Nicolas Maduro, September 14, 2022, on social media

historical twist

On August 20, Petro issued a decree suspending arrest and extradition orders against ELN leaders who remained in Cuba. The island reaffirmed its role as host and guarantor of talks, a position it had previously assumed during an earlier attempt to negotiate with the FARC in 2014. Simultaneously, Spain was being defined as a participant in talks noted during discussions between the leaders of both nations.

Since taking office, Petro has advanced a comprehensive peace agenda in Colombia. An agreement with the ELN is viewed as essential to advancing a broader roadmap that could include other armed groups on the far right and even the main drug trafficking faction, the Clan del Golfo. The case of the Guevarist insurgency matters to Venezuela because its presence spills over into nearby regions. Guerrillas frequently cross into Venezuela with the knowledge of Venezuelan security authorities, complicating regional stability.

Official communications from the Colombian government inviting Venezuela’s president to serve as the guarantor of peace talks with the ELN were circulated by media outlets.

– Hernán Tobar

Petro’s outreach to Maduro drew a wide range of reactions. Some Venezuelan and Colombian opposition factions resisted the Nariño Palace’s acknowledgment of Maduro as a legitimate international actor. Critics argued that Maduro may have gained more leverage than his Colombian counterpart in this arrangement. A human rights advocate noted, “It is a paradox that the mediator cannot meet with the opposition.”

Political scientist Ronal Rodríguez suggested that the search for a peace deal with the ELN weaves through Venezuela not only as a guarantor but also as a party to negotiations. He argued that disbanding the ELN and achieving lasting peace would be difficult without a meaningful Venezuelan component at the negotiating table.

Angélica Rodríguez, a researcher, offered a candid view: Petro’s outreach is not surprising. It aims to restart a negotiation pathway interrupted in 2016. She added that the Colombian government has signaled that Maduro’s involvement is instrumental to moving talks forward. Analyst Charles Larratt-Smith described the ELN as a binational guerrilla organization, underscoring the regional dimension of these talks.

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