Following the acts of violence committed by armed groups that have approached the national government to seek negotiated solutions to the conflict; Senator Roy Barreras pointed out that the Total Peace policy should be maintained, but also a “firm hand” to control the territory.
The president of Congress pointed out that “the ceasefires that the President generously proposed for the sake of Total Peace have not been reciprocated by the different groups.” Five that were initially raised with the ELN, the Central General Staff of the Farc, Segunda Marquetalia, the Conquistadores de la Sierra Self-Defense Forces and the Clan del Golfo.
Of them, the first to reject the offer was the National Liberation Army, which maintained that it should be discussed at the Talks Table and after raising the issue in that space, only initial agreements have been achieved. Only one protocol with the EMC has been publicly announced, but no further details have been known about the others.
The Ombudsman’s Office maintains that the Farc dissidents have maintained different harassments against the public forces and the civilian population, mainly in Cauca and Valle del Cauca, during the ceasefire period. In addition, they were accused of attacking the signatories of the Teatro Colón agreement in the Mesetas reincorporation space.
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The Clan del Golfo was the first of that group of organizations to which the government offered a ceasefire and was accused of failing to comply. Due to their participation in acts of violence in Bajo Cauca, in the midst of the mining strike, President Petro ordered the suspension of the decree that excluded them from offensive actions by the public force.
But due to the multiple breaches and the lack of clear verification mechanisms, Barreras pointed out that “in this context it does not make sense to maintain the ceasefire decrees of December 31,” as he wrote on his Twitter account.
“Dialogue tables can be held with the ELN, dissidents, and trapped deserters, repealing those decrees that, when breached by the beneficiaries, only have the effect of slowing down military operations. When there are verifiable ceasefire agreements, we will celebrate it,” said the president of the Senate.
“Paz’s noble offer is accompanied by a firm pulse on security,” Barreras said in response to President Petro’s announcement to suspend the ceasefire with the Clan del Golfo. As he said, the State must recover the territory as “the correct path towards peace with security.”
Carlos Camargo, Ombudsman, also pointed out that the Government’s decision to resume military operations against this armed structure should be an ultimatum for the other armed groups that accepted the truce offer made by President Petro at the beginning of the year.
“If the illegal armed groups mock the desire for peace of Colombians, it is the duty of the State to act forcefully to protect and guarantee the rights of the communities in the territories. The State cannot omit its duty to protect and guarantee the rights of the people”, said Camargo Assis.
The defender pointed out that the armed groups “are not demonstrating genuine gestures of peace” because they maintain hostile actions against the civilian population. From the early warning system they have identified that the AGC carried out assassination acts, extortion, drug trafficking, use of minors and control of illegal mining in the south of Bolívar, as well as human rights violations and pressures against the communities.
In regions such as Bajo Cauca, southern Córdoba, southern Bolívar and Magdalena Medio, there have been evidences of actions by both the Clan del Golfo and the dissidents and the ELN, which generate homicides, torture, disappearances, forced displacements, threats, affecting the civilian population, said the Ombudsman’s Office. with Infobae