Colombia and ELN guerillas complete first round of peace talks 

Members of the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group announced that they had “successfully” completed the first round of peace talks on Monday in Venezuela. 

The two groups restarted the peace talks on November 21, seeking to put an end to more than 60 years of war that has left more than 450,000 dead. Diplomats from Venezuela, Cuba, Norway, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico were overseeing the negotiations. 

In a joint statement, the Colombian government and the ELN said they have reached an agreement on four points so far, including the acknowledgment of the serious violence and need for emergency attention to the provinces of Choco and Valle del Cauca, reported Reuters. 

While a ceasefire has not yet been agreed upon, both parties agreed to "implement a partial agreement for emergency care." 

The next round of talks will take place in Mexico in January, announced Mexico’s ambassador to Caracas, Leopoldo de Gyves. 

The head of the ELN delegation, Pablo Beltran, confirmed that the talks would restart in the first quarter of next year. 

Colombia’s Defense Minister, Ian Velasquez, said on Monday that there has been "a noticeable drop in operations" by the guerilla group since the talks restarted. 

Additionally, the statement issued by both parties said that the ELN has released around 20 hostages since August. However, it is thought that the group, known for kidnapping and extortion, is still holding several other people. 

Previous talks between the ELN and the Colombian government began in 2017 in Ecuador. However, they were called off in 2019 when ELN bombed a police academy in Bogota. 

ELN is Colombia’s largest remaining rebel group, which has around 2,500 members that are most active in the Pacific region and along the country’s border with Venezuela.