{"id":25702,"date":"2026-02-23T12:31:51","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T17:31:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/colombian-rebel-group-announces-ceasefire-before-elections\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T12:31:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T17:31:51","slug":"colombian-rebel-group-announces-ceasefire-before-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/colombian-rebel-group-announces-ceasefire-before-elections\/","title":{"rendered":"Colombian Rebel Group Announces Ceasefire Before Elections"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

BOGOTA, Colombia \u2014 Colombia’s most significant remaining insurgent organization announced Monday it would temporarily halt military operations before next month’s crucial legislative elections, which have been disrupted by violent incidents targeting political candidates in remote regions.<\/p>

The National Liberation Army, known as ELN, released a statement on its official website declaring it would suspend attacks on government forces and election officials to ensure voters can participate “in liberty,” though the organization did not specify an end date for the temporary truce.<\/p>

The insurgent organization has faced longstanding allegations of targeting political figures who challenge its agenda and maintaining control over local government positions in territories under its influence to divert government resources.<\/p>

The group disputed these accusations in its announcement, stating it does not seek electoral victories and “does not finance any campaigns as drug traffickers do.”<\/p>

“For the ELN it is very important for the people to vote for whom they think is best, or to abstain if they feel that is most appropriate,” the statement read.<\/p>

Colombian officials suspended negotiations with the insurgent organization last year after a series of ELN operations in the nation’s northeastern regions displaced over 50,000 residents from their communities.<\/p>

On March 8, Colombian voters will select new members for both chambers of Congress, with political candidates vying for more than 300 legislative positions.<\/p>

The same day will feature primary contests to determine representatives for a progressive political alliance and a moderate-conservative coalition in the upcoming May presidential race.<\/p>

These legislative contests represent a crucial moment for President Gustavo Petro as he works to secure a congressional majority for his progressive movement, the Historical Pact, which could potentially support efforts to draft a new national constitution.<\/p>

However, the electoral process has already been disrupted by violent incidents targeting candidates and campaign workers across multiple Colombian regions, where insurgent influence has expanded during the Petro presidency.<\/p>

This month, Indigenous Senator Aida Quilcue was abducted while traveling between communities in the southwestern Cauca province but was freed without harm several hours later after military forces mobilized for her rescue.<\/p>

In Colombia’s eastern territories, two security personnel protecting Senator Jairo Castellanos were killed when ELN militants opened fire on his convoy. The organization later claimed they had not targeted the senator specifically, explaining they fired on the vehicle after it failed to halt at their checkpoint.<\/p>

Last year, conservative presidential candidate Miguel Uribe was wounded during a political gathering in Bogota and succumbed to his injuries two months afterward. This assassination represented the first attack on a Colombian presidential contender in thirty years and prompted some current candidates to reduce public campaign events due to safety considerations.<\/p>

The Movement for Electoral Observation, a Colombian democracy monitoring organization, reported this month that 11% of the country’s municipalities face “extreme risk” of election-related violence.<\/p>

This assessment considers various factors including armed group presence, recent population displacement incidents, and violence against civil rights advocates.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Colombia’s National Liberation Army has announced a temporary halt to attacks before next month’s congressional elections. The move comes as violence against political candidates has already disrupted campaigning across the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":25701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[832],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771867911217.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-6Gy","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":27789,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/un-warns-colombias-human-rights-crisis-worsening-as-elections-approach\/","url_meta":{"origin":25702,"position":0},"title":"UN Warns Colombia’s Human Rights Crisis Worsening as Elections Approach","author":"Admin","date":"February 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The United Nations reports that Colombia faces a deteriorating human rights situation with violence surging in rural areas ahead of upcoming elections. Displacement from violence jumped 85% last year, with nearly 94,000 people forced from their homes as armed groups battle for territory.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772109141652.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772109141652.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772109141652.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772109141652.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58213,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/colombia-faces-wave-of-rebel-attacks-ahead-of-may-presidential-election\/","url_meta":{"origin":25702,"position":1},"title":"Colombia Faces Wave of Rebel Attacks Ahead of May Presidential Election","author":"Admin","date":"April 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Rebel groups have launched 26 explosive and drone attacks in southwestern Colombia since Friday, killing 21 people in a highway bombing. The violence comes as the country prepares for May elections where security is a top voter concern.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777318793475.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777318793475.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777318793475.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777318793475.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58479,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/violence-erupts-in-colombia-days-before-presidential-election\/","url_meta":{"origin":25702,"position":2},"title":"Violence Erupts in Colombia Days Before Presidential Election","author":"Admin","date":"April 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Security fears are mounting in Colombia as insurgent forces have launched more than 24 violent strikes targeting both civilian populations and government military installations since Friday. The escalating violence comes just weeks before the nation's crucial May presidential vote.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777358354634.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777358354634.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777358354634.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777358354634.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":65493,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/colombia-sees-worst-civilian-violence-in-decade-as-gangs-rebels-battle-for-control\/","url_meta":{"origin":25702,"position":3},"title":"Colombia Sees Worst Civilian Violence in Decade as Gangs, Rebels Battle for Control","author":"Admin","date":"May 12, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The International Committee of the Red Cross reports that civilian casualties from armed conflict in Colombia reached their highest levels in ten years during 2025. 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