In a statement that shook the foundations of Colombia’s fragile peace, the National Liberation Army (ELN) unleashed all its verbal artillery against Gustavo Petro’s government. The guerrillas, who had maintained a bilateral ceasefire for months, now cry out to the heavens: they claim the Executive lost the opportunity to negotiate seriously and that the peace process is exhausted.
The terrorists did not stop there. In a message laden with veiled threats, they directly targeted the presidential candidate who is emerging as the favorite for the upcoming elections. They asked him not to replicate the security strategies promoted by Donald Trump in the United States. According to the ELN, such hardline policies would only further inflame the armed conflict.
“The Colombian government wasted the window for dialogue that opened. Now, if the next president opts for Trump-style repression, violence will spiral out of control,” the guerrilla warned.
The ELN’s warning is no coincidence. In recent months, the candidate in question has openly flirted with tough security recipes, like those applied by the former US president against gangs and organized crime. For the guerrilla, that would be a declaration of war that would force them to respond with their full arsenal.
Meanwhile, Petro’s government tries to calm the waters. Official sources say the doors for dialogue remain open, but the ELN has already declared the negotiation closed. “There is nothing to discuss with someone who does not keep their agreements,” the insurgents stated, referring to alleged state breaches on issues such as the release of political prisoners and the demining of territories.
The situation is a powder keg. The ELN, considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, controls vast rural areas and has a presence on the borders with Venezuela and Ecuador. Their firepower is no joke: they have shown they can paralyze the economy with attacks on oil pipelines and mass kidnappings.
Colombian security experts are already talking about a possible “bloodbath” if the next president decides to apply the Trumpist recipe. “The ELN is not a common criminal gang; it is a guerrilla with a military structure and social support in some regions. If they are confronted with a heavy hand, they will respond with everything,” explained an analyst who requested anonymity.
On the streets of Bogotá, people are beginning to feel fear. “You no longer know what to expect. First peace, now war again. This is a circus,” complained a street vendor in Bolívar Square. Meanwhile, the mentioned presidential candidate preferred not to comment, but his advisors hinted that they will not be intimidated by the threats of a “terrorist and drug-trafficking” group.
The international community is closely monitoring the conflict. The UN has already offered to mediate, but the ELN set conditions that the government considers unacceptable. Everything indicates that Colombia is heading toward a new chapter of violence, just when many believed peace was within reach.
Time is running out. The elections are just around the corner, and the ELN has already set the stage. The question hanging in the air is: will anyone be able to twist the guerrilla’s arm before it is too late?
che el gobierno este entierra la paz como siempre el eln tiene razon si el prox presidente copia a trump con mano dura nos vamos a bancar una escalada violenta terrible para mi esto huele a dictadura disfrazada son todos vende patria firmado el comandante trotski
Para mí esto huele a cagazo del gobierno. El ELN es una manga de terroristas y los dejaron tomar el timón. Mano dura ya, como Trump. Si no, nos van a llenar de sangre las calles. ¡Patria o muerte, carajo!