In Cuba, the signing of the agreements was carried out, results of the third cycle of negotiations between the parties. The fourth cycle begins on August 14 in Venezuela.
The agreement signed between the Petro Government and the ELN, as a conclusion of the third cycle of talks between the parties, and which ratifies the bilateral, national ceasefire for six months, has a stage of enlistment, preparation, implementation and verification. Its full execution begins on August 3.
This was contemplated in the document signed between the President of the Republic, Gustavo Petro and the commander of the ELN, Nicolás Rodríguez Bautista, alias Gabino, the guarantor countries and the accompanying parties, and which was read in its entirety by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, who represents the government of the island, a country that is guarantor of the peace process.
“The parties ratify that the dialogue table between the parties enters into a permanent activity that combines different modalities of work in different scenarios and times, maintaining the cycles of conversations,” said Foreign Minister Rodríguez.
The first of the three points of the agreement defines “the preparations for the participation of society in the construction of peace.” That is why a call to society is defined to participate in the peace process and the formation of preparatory teams for the installation of the so-called National Participation Committee.
The preparation of the operating regulations and the work plan of this Committee, which will be publicly installed on July 25, 2023, is also ordered.
The second point of the agreement is the bilateral, national and temporary ceasefire -for six months- between the parties and which in its initial phase also has three moments:
1. With the announcement of the parties, they begin the process of enlisting the bilateral ceasefire. From June 9 to July 5, 2023, an enlistment process is completed that includes, among others, the activation of a communication channel between the parties, through the special representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Colombia.
The drafting of the pending protocols, the beginning of the pedagogy activities and the preparation for the implementation of the monitoring and verification mechanism. “The orders for the cessation of offensive operations by the parties will become effective from July 6, 2023,” the text of the agreement includes.
2. On July 10, 2023, a plenary and face-to-face meeting of the peace dialogue table will be held to approve the elaborated protocols, during that period the pedagogical activities will continue to be developed.
3. On August 3, 2023, the full implementation of the process of enlisting the ceasefire will begin national and temporary bilateral with the full application of the protocols and the complete functioning of the monitoring and verification mechanism in all its instances.
As of that date, the 180 days of validity of the enlistment process of the national and temporary bilateral ceasefire begin to count, which will have the opportunity to continue, after evaluation by the parties.
Foreign Minister Rodríguez read the third point of the agreement and it is the definition of when and where the fourth cycle of negotiations will take place. It will be between August 14 and September 4, 2023, in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. “In which, among other issues, a balance of the signed agreements will be made,” he concluded.