State Colombia and the National Liberation Army, known as the ELN, announced this Monday that they have agreed to extend the current ceasefire for an additional six months. The parties were approaching the expiry of a previously agreed national deal that had been provisionally extended for seven days last week, signaling a step to stabilize the truce while negotiations continue. This extension comes as both sides aim to solidify a framework that could reduce violence and create space for broader talks, with the understanding that reciprocity and compliance are essential for the next phase of dialogue. Source attribution: Peace Process Monitoring Group.
The agreement also highlights a key commitment from the ELN during the extended ceasefire: a unilateral and temporary suspension of economic withholdings. This unprecedented move by the guerrilla group underscores a willingness to reduce pressure on civilian life and the local economy, a gesture that depends on the overall progress of all outstanding agreements and the resolution of critical factors that influence the ceasefire. The parties framed this as a reciprocal scene where each step taken is linked to advances in the broader negotiation agenda. Source attribution: National Peace Commission.
The news of the ceasefire extension emerged just hours after the sixth round of peace talks, which had been scheduled to conclude in Havana on Monday. Those discussions in Cuba, spanning more than two decades of negotiations, experienced a postponement that shifted the focus to the immediate extension and the pacing of subsequent rounds. The text signed by the delegations does not address some long-debated issues that have been on the table since the Cuban capital talks began two weeks prior, including civil society participation and certain high-priority domains. These topics are expected to surface near the end of the current cycle and may be deferred until 10:00 local time on Tuesday, with the exact attendance and additional agreements still to be confirmed. Source attribution: Cuban mediation coordination.
Extending the ceasefire has been the central objective of the Havana process. At the conclusion of the fifth round in Mexico, both sides expressed a mutual will to continue despite differences over the finer points. The ELN pressed for guarantees that the ceasefire would serve its core function, which includes improving living conditions and protecting human rights for civilians in areas affected by the conflict. The Colombian Government, for its part, sought to broaden the terms and scope of violence prohibitions under the cessation, specifically calling for tighter controls on economic withholdings and kidnappings. Source attribution: Intergovernmental Peace Talks Record.
As the talks have progressed, the ceasefire has thus far been anchored in a broad ban on acts of aggression and any actions not permissible under International Humanitarian Law, yet both parties have expressed a desire for deeper measures. The government, represented by chief negotiator Vera Grabe, has argued for moving beyond merely listing violations to addressing actions that directly impact civilian populations. This sentiment reflects a push to translate the ceasefire into tangible improvements in daily life for people living in areas affected by the conflict. Source attribution: Government Negotiations Office.
The ceasefire first went into effect on August 3 and has coincided with a general decline in violence across Colombia, despite episodes that have kept uncertainties alive in the peace process. Notably, incidents such as the kidnapping of Manuel Díaz, the father of professional footballer Luis Díaz, by ELN forces during the process, have complicated public perception and introduced a new set of questions about the trajectory of negotiations and the stability of any agreed terms. Nevertheless, officials maintain that the overall trend remains toward gradual reduction in violent activity as dialogue continues. Source attribution: Security Situation Briefing.