China News Service, Beijing, February 7, Bogotá News: According to the Associated Press, on February 6, local time, the Colombian government and the country's anti-government armed "National Liberation Army of Colombia" announced that they would extend the ceasefire for another 180 days. The National Liberation Army of Colombia has pledged to stop kidnapping civilians for ransom.
The Associated Press said that the ceasefire agreement between the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army of Colombia was originally due to expire on the 6th. Near midnight on the 6th, negotiators from both sides in Havana, the capital of Cuba, reached a new agreement at the buzzer. The "National Liberation Army of Colombia" promised in the new ceasefire agreement to "temporarily unilaterally suspend economic detention" and contribute to the ceasefire. Colombian government officials expressed satisfaction with the agreement.
Spanish EFE news agency reported that judging from the text of the agreement, the core of the negotiations between the two parties is still a ceasefire, and there is no obvious progress in other key areas such as political participation. The focus of the "National Liberation Army of Colombia" is to ask the government forces to strictly abide by the ceasefire agreement and stop all actions; the Colombian government is most concerned about asking the "National Liberation Army of Colombia" to stop kidnapping civilians.
On August 3, 2023, a six-month ceasefire agreement between the Colombian government and the "National Liberation Army of Colombia" came into effect until January 29, 2024. In order to continue negotiations, the two sides announced on January 29, local time, that they would extend the ceasefire agreement for one week.
The "National Liberation Army of Colombia" was established in 1964. In February 2017, the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army of Colombia officially began peace negotiations. (over)