Sanchez offers Petro to host peace talks with the National Liberation Army
Petro thanked Sanchez’s presentation, but emphasized that it was full of messages and not too much business of the warring groups.
After a slip from the announcer announcing the arrival of the “President of the Republic of the Spanish Government”, Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday conveyed to Gustavo Petro of his country’s intentions “to contribute to that peace to which the new government of Colombia is committed”.
Sanchez, who is in Bogota on a Latin American tour that will also take him to Ecuador and Honduras, has offered to host negotiations with ELN fighters.
The Prime Minister stressed that “Spain wants to accompany Colombia in this peace process” and “will spare no effort”, but that “it is the parties that decide the role that the two countries should play.”
Petro explained that the acceptance of Spain’s offer depends not only on his administration, but on the compatibility of the “peer” and added that we “will take this proposal” to the ELN.
He also noted that he had received many “letters” full of intent from various organizations. “We are full of letters, written words, we ask for negotiation, we ask for peace, we demand a different solution to what we have done for years and decades in Colombia… So far we have messages” apparently from defectors from the FARC, from the so-called Clan del Gulf and gangs Criminal and other organizations are willing to “negotiate”.
Petro stressed that if these groups wanted “peace”, they should stop “killing” and sit down to negotiate.
Sanchez’s entourage includes a large delegation of Spanish businessmen who have met with their local counterparts and officials from the new Colombian government to strengthen trade relations.
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