BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Rebels from Colombia’s National Liberation Army said Sunday they have agreed to prevent kidnappings as a fundraising tactic if the existing ceasefire with the government is extended.
The engagement comes after a series of talks between the two over the weekend in Mexico City.
Colombians are angry about kidnappings by the guerrillas, known by their Spanish initials as ELN. That anger grew in October when rebels kidnapped the father of soccer star Luis Diaz and detained him for 12 days before he was released. Diaz’s mother was rescued in a matter of hours by police.
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It is not yet clear whether the rebels will release some 38 Colombians they are currently holding captive, pending a ransom demand. It is also unclear whether that commitment will be fulfilled if the ceasefire, declared in August and set to expire on January 29, is fulfilled. not extended.
The overcoming of the kidnapping scandal was a breath of fresh air for the oft-maligned peace talks.
“After critical moments … we have made firm progress toward peace with the ELN,” said the government’s head negotiator, Vera Grabe.
Diaz is one of the most talented players on the Colombian national team and most recently plays for Liverpool in the English Premier League, which he joined last year on a contract worth $67 million. The kidnapping of his parents comes amid a rise in kidnappings for ransom and corporate extortion in Colombia, despite efforts by the country’s first leftist government to negotiate a ceasefire with the groups.
The country’s criminals and insurgent teams have long kidnapped civilians for ransom and to fund their operations. The ELN was founded in 1964 and was one of the last insurgent teams to lay down its arms.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Friday that extending the ceasefire would depend on negotiations to eliminate the rebels’ dependence on the illicit cocaine industry and other goods. The issue, which he describes as “replacing the illicit industry,” may be just the next stumbling block in the negotiations as the rebels categorically deny involvement in the cocaine trade.
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