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The delegations of the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) concluded the first cycle of peace talks. Here are the details.

In a huge sunlight meeting room, in the Hotel Humboldt, high above Caracas, peace talks with the ELN kicked off on the 21^st of November. The parties even announced initial, albeit mostly symbolic, agreements. Colombians celebrate small steps but the country has a long way to go.

The so-called FARC dissidents cause headaches for President Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” plan and this month’s debate over enabling legislation brought the issues to the fore, unfortunately without permanent resolution. The ELN process moved a small step and land reform took a giant leap.

President Gustavo Petro and the ELN confirmed the reestablishment of peace talks.

You are probably reading this on October 4^th, 2022, less than two months after Gustavo Petro was sworn in as Colombia’s president. Amongst other broad commitments he said “I will work to achieve true and definitive peace.” Specifically, he announced that he would immediately begin negotiations with the ELN. Shortly after that, Petro began talking about a “Total Peace”, incorporating not only the ELN but the narcos who continue to terrorize parts of the country.

Ecopetrol (NYSE: EC) reported a serious situation in La Cira Infantas field.

On May 1^st2021, the Colombian government lifted most restrictions related to Covid-19. It also stopped issuing daily statistical bulletins. Two years and two months after it began, the pandemic seems to be over in Colombia. We assume (hope) that this will, therefore, be our last publication of these statistics and we only do so because they show the complete course of the disease in Colombia.

ELN developed a national armed strike.

Authorities held a security council with the goal of creating a strategy to improve security conditions in Arauca.

Ecopetrol (NYSE: EC) confirmed that contractor Diego Fernando Lozano was released after spending 22 days kidnapped.