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Colombian government and ELN agree to create humanitarian zones

Colombian government and ELN agree to create humanitarian zones
Photo: EFE

September 4 |

The Government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN) confirmed on Monday the creation of the so-called “humanitarian zones”, at the end of the fourth cycle of peace talks, which was held in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital.

The news was announced by Senator Iván Cepeda, one of the negotiators of the Colombian government, who specified that “humanitarian zones will be created in which there will be an intervention, not only of a humanitarian nature, but also through development projects that will embody many of the peace agreements that the (negotiating) table is reaching”.

In a ceremony held in Caracas, a joint declaration was released, in which the parties indicated that they will produce “humanitarian actions”, without specifying which ones, “that promote the bilateral, national and temporary ceasefire, promote the participation of the communities, peoples and other social, economic and political forces in these territories”.

Likewise, this new agreement includes humanitarian actions, with which the Government of Gustavo Petro and the ELN seek to “carry out social development projects (…) for implementation in the coming months”.

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The areas chosen were Bajo Calima and San Juan, localities in the department of Valle del Cauca, as well as Sur de Bolívar (Bolívar) and Bajo Cauca (Antioquia), territory in which violent actions were registered in the last weeks, despite the bilateral ceasefire agreed, which came into force last August 3 and will be extended until February 2024.

However, the parties will be able to define new “humanitarian zones”, if necessary, after analyzing the circumstances in these territories.

At the ceremony, the main ELN negotiator, commander Pablo Beltrán, referred that “the ceasefire has been under fire” and charged against the attacks to the process, of whom he said are “against Peace”.

He also pointed out that the negotiators have “placed emphasis on dealing with the critical zones, which are areas where there have been severe attacks”.

For his part, the head of the Colombian government delegation, Otty Patiño, pointed out that “in these nine months we have achieved a cease-fire, citizen participation to build a national agreement with thousands of voices”.

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Patiño pointed out that “we have initiated a process of participation that aims to be the meeting between a civil ELN and Colombian society. It is a scenario in which differences are conveyed in a frank, intelligent and non-aggressive manner that will help in the construction of a great National Agreement”.

In another intervention, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Iván Gil valued that “peace in Colombia is an urgent and necessary matter that cannot be postponed” and ratified that Caracas “is willing to host the necessary meetings”.

The main objective of this cycle, which began on August 14, was to address issues such as the bilateral cease-fire and the participation of civil society in the dialogues. The negotiators thanked the Venezuelan government for the facilities provided for this process.

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Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.

The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.

The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).

“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.

Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”

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Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.

Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.

A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”

According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.

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Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.

Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.

“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.

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