Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard leads the closing ceremony of the second round of negotiations in the Colombian government-ELN peace talks

The second round of negotiations in the peace talks between the Government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN) concluded today in Mexico.

Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard led the closing ceremony accompanied by the Vice President of Colombia, Francia Márquez; Colombian Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva; Colombia’s High Commissioner for Peace Danilo Rueda; the head of the government delegation, Otty Patiño; and the head of the ELN delegation, Pablo Beltrán.

The closing ceremony was also attended by representatives of the guarantor countries: Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Norway and Venezuela; the permanent accompanying actors: the representative of the UN Secretary-General in Colombia and the Episcopal Conference of Colombia; and the non-permanent accompanying countries of Germany, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

In the Simón Bolívar Auditorium of the Former College of San Ildefonso, Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said that for Mexico, “It was a pleasure and a privilege to contribute to building peace in the great country” of Colombia, and that “if they are successful, it means that we can build peace everywhere.”

He congratulated both delegations for their hard work, commitment and political will, which made it possible to reach important commitments. “The Mexico Agreement: New Agenda for Peace Dialogues between the Government of the Republic of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN) envisages a shared strategic vision, with actions in the short- and medium-term that will promote lasting transformations that sustain peace and inclusion in Colombia,” said the Mexican foreign secretary.

Secretary Ebrard reaffirmed the commitment of the Mexican government to continue accompanying and supporting the peace talks in accordance with the principles of solidarity, neutrality and trust, and invited the parties to return to Mexico to continue the negotiations in the near future.

Both delegation heads thanked Mexico for its hospitality and support during this round of negotiations, saying that the foundations had been laid to give decisive impetus to peace in Colombia.

In her remarks, Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez conveyed a message of thanks from President Gustavo Petro to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador for the support provided by Mexico, the other guarantor countries, and those accompanying the talks.

Some of the progress made during this round of negotiations include signing the finalized agenda and the report of the Humanitarian Caravan that the two parties prepared last January, which includes specific recommendations and commitments to continue addressing the basic needs of the population. The parties also agreed on general principles for the participation of Colombian society in the peace process.

Mexico reaffirms its pacifist and supportive stance, and will continue to promote dialogue and the peaceful settlement of disputes as the true path to justice among the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean.