The order to cease operations is in compliance with the most recent agreement signed in Havana, Cuba, during the third cycle of the negotiating tables. | Photo: @infopresidencia

Bogota, July 6 (RHC)-- The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, signed this Wednesday a decree declaring the suspension as of this Thursday of offensive operations against the National Liberation Army (ELN) group.

The ELN Central Command, for its part, issued a statement in which it announced that it ordered its members to "cease all offensive military activities" and intelligence "against the Military and Police Forces" from the first minute of this Thursday.

In a speech during the delivery of the Political Constitution that recognizes the rights of the peasantry, Petro highlighted that "there appears the ELN that starts the ceasefire tomorrow (this Thursday) with us, talking about a national agreement".

This suspension begins almost a month before a bilateral ceasefire that will be in effect from August 3 to January 29, 2024.  The order to cease operations is in compliance with the most recent agreement signed in Havana, Cuba, during the third cycle of the negotiation tables between the Government and the ELN.

The decree states that the so-called temporary bilateral ceasefire of national character may be extended after evaluation by the peace talks table of the reports of the monitoring and verification mechanism, and in accordance with what was agreed by the parties.

The ceasefire between the parties was agreed in early June last in Havana, as part of the Cuba agreements retaken in November 2022.