Post a Comment Print Share on Facebook
Featured Irán Tribunal Supremo Audiencia Nacional Rusia Inmigración

ELN leader 'Visaje' falls after an Army operation in northern Colombia

MADRID, 24 Ene.

- 2 reads.

ELN leader 'Visaje' falls after an Army operation in northern Colombia

MADRID, 24 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Colombia has announced the death of Luis Gabriel Zea Berna, alias 'Visaje', one of the leaders of the National Liberation Army (ELN) in the north of the country, at a time when the government and the guerrillas showed their disagreement at the end of December to seal a bilateral ceasefire while they negotiate peace.

The commander of the First Division of the Army, General Erick Rodríguez, has detailed that 'Visaje, leader of the José Antonio Galán front of the ELN, had arrest warrants for the crimes of rebellion, robbery and criminal association, and that he was killed during a military operation in the south of Bolívar.

This region of the country and the north of Antioquia were the main areas of influence of 'Visaje', who was surprised by the Colombian authorities when he was carrying out "labors of forced recruitment, extortion and intimidation of the inhabitants of the area".

Visaje' had "a criminal history of more than thirteen years in the ELN," General Rodríguez highlighted, reports RCN. He is considered responsible for several attacks with explosives against public agents and police installations in Antioquia.

This operation takes place when the Government and the guerrillas are negotiating peace after resuming the stalled talks of 2019. However, after the impulse that came from establishing a new dialogue table, the ELN's clarifications assuring that they did not sign a bilateral ceasefire as President Gustavo Petro said, created a small crisis and some uncertainty.

The second round of negotiations is scheduled for February 13 in Mexico after an extraordinary meeting was held a few days ago in Caracas, Venezuela, to resolve the disagreement that led to the announcement of this bilateral ceasefire.

Keywords:
ColombiaELN