The ELN announced a 72-hour armed strike that will begin at 6:00 a.m. on December 14 and end at the same time on December 17 in Colombia.
The group justified this action as a response to a new phase of policies promoted by US President Donald Trump, citing alleged threats of US military intervention in Latin America and the Caribbean.
In light of these announcements by the guerrilla group, the US Embassy in Bogota expressed its rejection of the threats in a message posted on its X account. The diplomatic headquarters called the armed group’s warnings “unacceptable and illogical.”
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The embassy expressed its position in light of the ELN’s ongoing threatswho describe their actions as a direct attack on the stability and security of Colombia.
In a message shared on social networks, the diplomatic headquarters stressed its dissatisfaction with the group’s illegal activities and the harm caused to the population.
“From the U.S. Embassy, we express our strong opposition to the repeated threats of the drug terrorist group ELN, which continues to engage in drug trafficking, attacks and abuse of the honorable Colombian people.”wrote the diplomatic headquarters in its publication.
He also pointed out that the ELN’s speech, which seeks to justify itself as a protest in defense of the rights of Colombians, actually concerns above all the citizens themselves. The embassy questioned the logic of such actions and emphasized that those affected are always the country’s residents.
“They intend to protest for the rights of Colombians when the truth is that, as always, the Colombian people themselves will suffer. This is unacceptable and illogical.”commented on the message.
In addition, the Embassy underlined its support for the Colombian authorities and the population and underlined its Government’s commitment to supporting national efforts against organized crime.
“We reiterate our firm support for the National Government, for the brave public forces and for all Colombians in the fight against illegal armed groups and in the defense of our people.” They concluded in their message on the social network X.
The embassy’s message came in response to a message from Gustavo Petro’s government’s Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez, who questioned the ELN’s true intentions and denounced the damage caused by its criminal activities.
The authority expressed that far from pursuing social justice goals, the group uses violence and intimidation against rural communities, especially farmers, and reiterated the full commitment of the public authority to protect the population. He also urged citizens to provide life-saving information while ensuring confidentiality.
“Why does the ELN cartel continue to threaten and terrorize our farmers? The answer lies in their criminal DNA. They cynically say that they seek social justice and justice, but they murder, kidnap, extort and try to enslave our farmers in the drug trade. All means of public violence are used to ensure the peace and security of Colombians. If you have information to protect lives, call 157 or 107. Absolute restraint,” the head of commented the Ministry of Defense in its message.
Regarding the armed attack reported by the illegal armed group, a statement was released on Friday, December 12. The ELN denounced what it sees as “interference by North American imperialism” to promote the “plundering” of Colombia’s natural resources.
The insurgent group argued: “As a revolutionary guerrilla organization, we fight in defense of life threatened by the accumulation of capital. We are here because we make decisions about the land in Colombia and not in Washington, and in the end we manage to establish a government that serves the people and not the dominant minority.”
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