Colombia has announced the suspension of peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN) following a deadly attack that claimed the lives of two soldiers and left more than 20 others injured. The government's peace delegation stated that the dialogue process is now on hold, citing the attack as a severe blow to the negotiations. The ELN, a rebel group, has not claimed responsibility for the incident.
The attack, which involved the firing of homemade rockets from a cargo truck near a military base in Arauca province, has led to the deepest crisis in the peace negotiations since November 2022. President Gustavo Petro, who initiated talks with various armed groups under a policy of total peace, expressed concern over the viability of the dialogue process.
