Why did the United States condition the UN in Colombia to verify the cessation of Mordisco’s dissidence?

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The Head of the United Nations in Colombia, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, held a virtual press conference following the presentation of the quarterly report of the Verification Mission in Colombia on the implementation of the ceasefire. He discussed the conditions set by the United States to expand the mandate of the Mission to verify the ceasefire with the dissidents of the former FARC.

The report stated that, “no case of violation of the ELN ceasefire has been confirmed,” which has stirred controversy, especially in light of incidents like the kidnapping of Luis Díaz’s father. However, Massieu clarified that the report is based on the cases received, some of which were dismissed, and others are still being analyzed. He emphasized the importance of the Verification Mechanisms in preventing confrontations and resolving conflicts.

Regarding the public release of Verification Mechanism reports, Massieu stated that the United Nations is interested in disseminating the report to the public and is working on improving its visibility.

Massieu also provided details about the UN Security Council’s planned visit to Colombia in February. The visit aims to evaluate the implementation of the 2016 Agreement on-site, including field visits to assess progress in different areas of the country.

He also addressed the conditions set by the United States to expand the mandate of the UN Verification Mission, confirming that the Council is considering giving the mission the mandate but has not done so yet. The United States expressed that the dialogues with the EMC and the ceasefire itself are not yet mature enough for the Council to get involved, signaling the need for the process to move forward.

The Security Council’s visit to Colombia will include visits to areas where the reintegration process of FARC ex-combatants is taking place and engage in dialogues with indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities.

Overall, the visit provides an opportunity for the Security Council to evaluate the progress of peace in Colombia and express support for the peace process, as the country is halfway through the 15-year projected implementation period.