The Brazilian Foreign Ministry informed Monday that it has accepted Colombia’s invitation to join as a guarantor country to the Peace Dialogue Table between the Colombian Government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas.
«On November 25, the parties confirmed Cuba, Venezuela and Norway as guarantor countries and invited Brazil, Chile and Mexico to also exercise this function,» the Brazilian Foreign Ministry said in a statement confirming its participation in the process.
In this letter, the Brazilian authorities emphasize that Brasilia «had already contributed to the peace talks with the ELN» before, including in the role of guarantor country, until the interruption of the negotiations in 2019.
«It is with satisfaction that Brazil is once again part of the process, fundamental for the consolidation of peace in Colombia and of great importance, consequently, for the region and for the world,» concludes the Brazilian diplomatic portfolio.
On January 21, the Colombian government and the ELN guerrillas announced an agreement to open the second phase of the dialogue process in Mexico on February 13, in a new cycle in which «the issue of the participation of society in the construction of peace will be addressed» and simultaneously, «a bilateral ceasefire will begin to be discussed and agreed upon».
The rift between the parties followed the announcement by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who revealed on December 31 a bilateral ceasefire. This news was not well received by the ELN, which two days later denied it through its Central Command.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
