Colombian President Gustavo Petro warns rebel attack jeopardizes fragile peace process

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro has issued a stark warning following a deadly attack on a military base in Arauca province, stating the assault could bring an end to the delicate peace negotiations with the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group.

The attack, which occurred on Tuesday in Puerto Jordan, killed two soldiers and injured at least 21 others, marking a critical blow to the government’s efforts for a lasting peace.

“This is an attack that practically closes a peace process, with blood,” Petro declared during a ceremony in Bogotá, underscoring the severity of the incident.

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The ELN is accused of launching rockets from a cargo truck loaded with explosives, making this the most significant assault since a bilateral ceasefire between the government and the rebel group collapsed in August. With around 6,000 fighters, the ELN remains the largest remaining insurgent group in Colombia’s six-decade conflict, which has claimed over 450,000 lives.

Despite the government’s 2016 peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), efforts to end the conflict with the ELN have repeatedly stumbled. Petro, Colombia’s first left-wing president, revived peace talks with the ELN in late 2022 as part of his “total peace” initiative, but those talks have been mired in crisis amid continued violence, kidnappings, and illegal taxation in ELN-controlled territories.

The rebel group has also expressed dissatisfaction over the government’s decision to engage separately with a breakaway ELN faction in southwestern Colombia. In August, Defense Minister Iván Velásquez confirmed that military operations against the ELN would resume following the end of the ceasefire.

The ELN contends that the government has failed to honor previous agreements, and is demanding removal from the official list of armed groups. However, the future of peace now hangs in the balance as the bloodshed continues.

Petro’s warning is a sharp reminder of how precarious Colombia’s quest for lasting peace remains.