Lula says ceasefire in Colombia is “fundamental step” towards peace

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) congratulated Colombia and the country’s representative, Gustavo Petro, this Saturday (10), for the “fundamental” step in building peace after the agreement with the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla ).

“I congratulate Colombia, in particular President Gustavo Petro for the ceasefire agreement with the ELN. A fundamental step in building peace for the Latin American peoples and a reaffirmation of South America’s vocation for peace,” he said.

The president thus complemented the message of the Brazilian government which, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed its “satisfaction” with the “national”, “bilateral” and “temporary” ceasefire agreed on Friday (9) by the Colombian authorities and the ELN.

The ceasefire will start on August 3rd and will last for an initial period of 180 days, as a result of the third round of negotiations between the two parties, which took place between May 2nd and 9th in Havana, Cuba.

The 180-day ceasefire, the longest so far agreed between the government and the ELN, was signed this Saturday (10) in Havana, in a ceremony attended by President Petro and the first commander of the ELN, Eliécer Herlinto Chamorro. , known as “Antonio García”.

The parties also agreed that the United Nations and the Catholic Church will monitor compliance with the ceasefire through follow-up meetings every two months.