Although the document signed by the parties announces “the suspension of withholding taxes for economic purposes (…) as part of the extension of the ceasefire planned for the end of January next year”, for García the end of the practice could only take place if the bilateral and temporary ceasefire was extended because “no final ceasefire has been signed,” according to a document he posted on his X account the day before.
However, according to the guerrilla commander, the temporary ceasefire “did not work well” and adjustments are needed as part of the agreed review after six months of the pact, so that a possible extension of the deadline, which is scheduled for the 30th, can be completed. from January.
Greetings! 👋The agreements signed in Mexico are not the ones that the major media/opinion makers invent or misinterpret, they are the ones that are written.
So that we understand the scope clearly, I invite you to read my opinion column this week 👇📝➡️ pic.twitter.com/qgok3eZXE9
— Antonio García (@AntonioGaELN) December 25, 2023
“Despite our goodwill to comply with this attitude, the massacres and murders of social leaders and the persecution against them continue. And the state and its armed forces, calm down, they are not on their side,” he said.
Conditional ending
In addition to pointing out the possible difficulties related to the bilateral ceasefire, García shared his interpretations of the agreements related to the financing of the ELN, while its integration into Colombia’s political life is finalized.
In the talks it was agreed on “the creation of economic and financial conditions for the implementation of the Mexico Agreement”, for which “a team consisting of delegates and advisors from the parties” as well as representatives of the United Nations, the Kingdom of Norway and the accompanying countries will be formed , to propose “the sources, pathways and activities related to the financing of the peace process”.
Therefore, from the point of view of the armed organization, it is “common sense” to conclude that for effective progress towards peace, “the suspension of withholdings for economic purposes” cannot occur without alternatives to “financing” the insurgency within the country as part of a new extension of the bilateral ceasefire.
“We must reiterate that there is still no substantive agreement on peace, as the process of community participation that will create an agenda for change for the country is still in its early stages. What has been agreed so far is a discussion agenda and what.” “The participation of society will be as if it were just being planned,” emphasized García, referring to the steps that still need to be taken to ensure the demobilization of the ELN concretize.
With information from RT