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National Liberation Army (Colombia)

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"Ejército de Liberación Nacional" redirects here. For other uses, seeEjército de Liberación Nacional (disambiguation).
National Liberation Army
Leaders
Dates of operation1964–present
Active regionsEspecially in the departments ofArauca,Cauca,Choco,Norte de SantanderandNariño.Bajo Cauca Antioquia.Venezuela.[1]
Ideology
Political positionFar-left
Size5,000[2]
Part ofSimón Bolívar Guerrilla Coordinating Board[3]
AlliesVenezuela(from 2014) FARC-EP[5]
Opponents
Flag

TheNational Liberation Army(Spanish:Ejército de Liberación Nacional,ELN) is aMarxist–Leninistguerrilla insurgency group[6]involved in the continuingColombian conflict,[7]which has existed inColombiasince 1964. The ELN advocates a compositecommunistideology ofMarxism-Leninismandliberation theology.In 2013, it was estimated that the ELN forces consisted of between 1,380 and 3,000 guerrillas.[8][9][10]According to former ELN national directorate member Felipe Torres, one fifth of ELN supporters have taken up arms.[11]The ELN has been classified as aterrorist organizationby the governments ofColombia,[12]theUnited States,[13]Canada,[14]New Zealand,[15]and theEuropean Union.[16]

History[edit]

Formation[edit]

The National Liberation Army was founded in 1964, byFabio Vásquez Castañoand other Colombian rebels trained inCuba.Later, the ELN was headed by a series of Roman Catholic priests, exponents of liberation theology. Most notable wasCamilo Torres Restrepo(1929–66), a well-known university professor (egalitarian and Marxist–Leninist) who was openly critical of the what he considered grossly unequal income among thesocial classesof Colombia. His attraction to theradicalideas of liberation theology led him to join the ELN, a guerrilla army intent upon effecting therevolutionarypraxis of liberation theology among the poor people of Colombia. Priest Camilo was killed in his first combat as an ELN guerrilla, and so became the exemplar ELN soldier, to be emulated by ELN guerrillas and other liberation theology priests from the lower ranks of the Roman Catholic priesthood.

ELN guerrilla: PriestCamilo Torresamong the peasants of Colombia.
"Neither Surrender, Nor Deliverance" reads the poster of theEjército de Liberación Nacionalat theNational University of Colombia.

In the years following its foundation, it brought together more students and young activists from cities than peasants, a social composition that distinguishes it from theFARCguerrillas, who are essentially peasants.[17]

In the 1970s, after suffering military defeat and internal crises, the ELN was commanded by the Spanish priest FatherManuel Pérez Martínez(1943–98), aliasEl Cura Pérez,who shared leadership with Nicolás Rodríguez Bautista, alias "Gabino".El Cura Pérezpresided over the National Liberation Army as one of its most recognized figures until he died ofhepatitis Bin 1998. He was instrumental in establishing the ideology of the ELN, a composite of Cuban revolutionary theory and liberation theology that proposes the establishment in Colombia of aChristianand communist regime to resolve the socioeconomic problems of chronicpolitical corruption,poverty,and the exclusion of most Colombians from their country's government.

The ELN guerrillas survived the heavy fighting in theColombian National Army's Operation Anorí (1973–74), and then reconstituted their forces, with partial assistance from the Colombian Government of PresidentAlfonso López Michelsen(1974–78), who allowed the ELN to break from and escape encirclement by the Colombian army. President López Michelsen helped the ELN in the hope of initiating peace negotiations with them in order to end the civil war. After this, the National Liberation Army of Colombia resumed financing its military operations by means ofkidnapforransom,theextortionof money from Colombian and foreignpetroleum companiesand thetaxationof the privateillegal drug tradeof Colombia.

The ELN did not participate in the peace negotiations conducted between the Colombian government of PresidentAndrés Pastrana Arango(1998–2002) and FARC, yet did participate in an exploratory conference about possibly participating in peace negotiations. A Colombian government initiative towards granting the ELN ademilitarized zonein the southern region of theBolívar Departmentwas thwarted byright-wingpolitical pressure from theUnited Self-Defense Forces of Colombia(AUC) whoseparamilitarymercenariesconduct anti-guerrilla operations in that part of the Bolívar Department.

First peace discussions: 2002–2017[edit]

Early contacts[edit]

Protest march against ELN kidnapping: "So, what about those [people] kidnapped by the ELN?"

Previous contacts continued during the early days of theÁlvaro Uribe Vélezgovernment but eventually were severed, neither party being fully trusting of the other. Only in mid-2004 did the ELN and the government began to make a series of moves that, with the announced mediation of theVicente Foxgovernment ofMexico,lead to another round of exploratory talks.

On July 24, 2004 the ELN apparently abductedMisael Vacca Ramírez,theRoman CatholicBishopof Yopal, though their reasons were not clarified. The kidnappers said that Ramírez would be released with a message, but "Francisco Galán",a senior jailed ELN commander who has often acted as an intermediary between the government and the ELN's high command, said he did not know whether the group was responsible. The Bishop was subsequently released by ELN members, in good health, on July 27, after his kidnapping had been condemned byAmnesty InternationalandPope John Paul II,among others. As far as is publicly known, he did not have any message to announce on behalf of the ELN.

Eventually, the ELN questioned Mexico's participation in the talks, arguing that it did not have confidence in the actions of a government which voted againstFidel Castro's Cuba during aUnited Nationsvote. This led the Mexican government to end its participation.

Exploratory talks in Cuba[edit]

In December 2005, the ELN and the Colombian government began a new round of exploratory talks in Havana, Cuba, with the presence of the ELN's military commander "Antonio García",as well as" Francisco Galán "and" Ramiro Vargas ". This was considered the direct result of three months of previous consultations with representatives of different sectors of public society through the figure of a" House of Peace "(Casa de Pazin Spanish).

Representatives fromNorway,SpainandSwitzerlandjoined both parties at the talks as observers.

The talks ended by December 22 and both parties agreed to meet again in January 2006.[18]After a series of preliminary meetings, the next round of talks was later rescheduled for early-mid February.[19]

During the February talks, which moved at a slow pace, the government decided to formally suspend capture orders for "Antonio García" and "Ramiro Vargas", recognizing them as negotiators and, implicitly, as political actors. The move was also joined by the creation of what was termed an alternative and complementary mechanism that could be used to deal with difficult issues and matters that concerned both parties, outside the main negotiating table. A formal negotiation process has yet to begin.[20]

On March 23, the ELN freed a Colombian soldier that it had kidnapped on February 25, delivering him to theRed Cross,saying that it was a unilateral sign of good will.[21]

The ELN's "Antonio García" expected to visit Cuba from April 17 to April 28, participating in different meetings with representatives of several political, economic and social sectors. The third round of the exploratory talks would have originally taken place in La Habana, Cuba from May 2 to May 12.[22]

The third round of talks was later moved to take place from April 25 to April 28. Both parties reiterated their respect for the content and spirit of all previous agreements, and that they would continue working towards the design of a future peace process. The Colombian government and the ELN intend to study documents previously elaborated during the "House of Peace" stage, as well as documents from other participants and observers.[23]Both parties expected to meet again after Colombia's May 28 presidential elections.

On August 30, 2007 the ELN said that in the statement the dialogues in Havana ended without agreement because of "two different conceptions of peace and methods to get to it".

Restored negotiations[edit]

Colombian PresidentÁlvaro Uribeinvited ELN spokesman "Francisco Galán" for new talks about peace on April 3, 2008.[24]The two spoke in the presidential palace. After the meeting Galán says the ELN will return to the negotiation table.[25]The ELN released a press note shortly after that saying the rebel group "does not share the views" of "Galán" and dismissed him as their spokesman. The Marxist rebels did say they will continue to let "Galán" negotiate between the Colombian government and the rebels.[26]

On December 7, 2008 18 ELN guerillas surrendered to the Colombian army in the northwestern province ofChocó.[27]

In March 2016 the resumption of peace talks between the parties were announced, but were put on hold until the release of all hostages still kept by the ELN.[28]The last hostages were finally released in February 2017 and the talks commenced in the same month, with Pablo Beltrán andJuan Camilo Restrepoheading the delegations of the ELN and the Colombian government, respectively.[28]

On September 4, 2017, the ELN and PresidentJuan Manuel Santosof Colombia announced a truce to begin on October 1 and to last at least until January 12, 2018.[29]

From May 25 to May 29 the group had a ceasefire in order to allow for "favourable conditions" during the2018 Colombian presidential election.The ELN said it hoped "that this spirit of conciliation of the ELN is answered with a similar behaviour" from the government.[citation needed]

Continued conflict: 2017–2022[edit]

2019 Bogotá car bombing[edit]

Main article:2019 Bogotá car bombing

On 17 January 2019, the ELN performed a car bombing at theGeneral Santander National Police AcademyinBogotá,Colombia.The truck detonated and killed 21 people, including the perpetrator, and injured 68 others.[30][31]It was the deadliest attack on the Colombian capital since the2003 El Nogal Club bombingand the first attack on the capital since the2017 Centro Andino bombing.[32]The ELN accepted responsibility for the attack and justified it as a response to the bombings made by the Colombian government during the unilateral ceasefire.[33]

As a result of the bombing, PresidentIván Duque Márquezannounced on 18 January that peace dialogue between the Government of Colombia and the ELN was officially suspended. Duque also demanded that Cuba extradite the ten ELN leaders that found refuge on the island nation during peace talks and the reactivation of theirInterpol Red Notices,and criticizedVenezuelafor providing refuge for the ELN on the Colombia-Venezuela border.[34][35]In response to the request, Cuba's Foreign Minister announced that Cuba would abide by the protocols of ongoing negotiations between both parties.[36]

2019 Venezuelan protests[edit]

Main article:2019 Venezuelan protests

TheRedesFoundation denounced in the Colombian Public Ministry that armed groups made up of National Liberation Army members and FARC dissidents, supported by theBolivarian National Policeand FAES officials, murdered two Venezuelan protesters, Eduardo José Marrero and Luigi Ángel Guerrero, during a protest in the frontier city ofSan Cristóbal,inTáchira state.Other protesters were injured during the shooting.[37]

2020 ceasefire over coronavirus[edit]

In March 2020, the National Liberation Army (ELN) declared a unilateral one-month ceasefire during the outbreak of theCOVID-19 pandemic,to start on April 1.[38]

General Luis Fernando Navarro asserted on January 5, 2021 that the ELN lost 700 members through targeted attacks in 2020, and that it still had 2,500 armed combatants.[39]

Second peace negotiations: 2022–present[edit]

Revival of peace talks[edit]

On 21 November 2022, after theelectionofGustavo Petrobreathed new life into the peace process, delegates of the ELN and the newColombian governmentmet in Venezuela to resume the peace talks that faltered in January 2019, after the Bogotá car bombing.[40]The negotiations continued into the first week of December 2022, with representatives of the ELN and the Colombian government meeting for the continuation of peace talks inEl Ávila National ParkinCaracas.[41]On the occasion, ELN chief negotiator Pablo Beltrán stated that Colombians have to work towards reconciliation and recreate a new nation in peace and equity and in a similar spirit Danilo Rueda, the High Commissioner for Peace in Colombia, stated that peace is not only a question of laying down arms, but a process linked to the need for change.[41]Following the conclusion of the first round of talks, the ELN announced a unilateral holiday truce lasting from24 December 2022until 2 January 2023.[42]

After Mexico agreed to be an official guarantor to the peace process, it was chosen as the host country for the second round of talks, expected to begin in January 2023.[43] With the addition of Mexico, along with Cuba,Chile,Norway and Venezuela, there are now five guarantor countries to the peace process.[44]

After misunderstandings arose regarding a bilateral ceasefire between the ELN and the government, an emergency meeting took place on 21 January in Caracas to reassure both sides of their intentions and to set a date for the second round of negotiations, scheduled to commence on 12 February 2023.[44]

Prior to the restart of peace talks, the influential ELN-commander Antonio Garcia criticised the approach of the Colombian government, stating that "the peace process cannot be used as an ‘umbrella’ for other issues”.[45]The former commander of the ELN, Carlos Velandia, dismissed this stance as posturing ahead of the next round of talks, which commenced on time in Mexico City, opining that the ELN wants to negotiate its own accord and not be lumped in with other groups.[45]

The Colombian government appointedVera Grabe Loewenherzas its head negotiator with the ELN in December 2023.[46]

Activities[edit]

TheU.S. State Departmenthas listed the ELN as aForeign Terrorist Organizationbecause of its reputation for ransomkidnappingsand armed attacks on Colombia's infrastructure. In April 2004, theEuropean Unionadded the ELN to its list ofterroristorganizations for those actions and its breaches ofhumanitarian law.[7]

The ELN's main source of income are businesses andmiddle classcivilians in its areas of operation. To enforce these "taxes", they frequently take civilians captive to use as leverage. While the ELN uses the terms "war taxes" and "retentions" for these actions, critics insist they constitute "extortion" and "kidnapping".[47]

According toClaudia Calle,spokesperson forPaís Libre,a Colombian foundation for victims of abductions, the ELN was responsible for the death of 153 hostages between 2000 and 2007.[48]According to País Libre, ELN abducted over 3,000 people between 2000 and 2007.[49]

Relations[edit]

FARC[edit]

The ELN also occasionally operated with theFARC-EP,and like FARC, it has targeted civilians, according to a February 2005 report by the United NationsHigh Commissioner for Human Rights:"During 2004, the FARC-EP and the ELN carried out a series of attacks against the civilian population, including several massacres of civilians and kidnappings by the FARC-EP. There were occasional joint actions by the FARC-EP and the ELN."[50]

In mid-2006, mutual rivalries between local FARC and ELN forces escalated into hostilities inArauca,along the border with Venezuela. According to theBBC,"the FARC have for some years moved to take over ELN territory near the Venezuelan border, and the smaller rebel army reacted by killing several FARC militants". A statement posted on FARC's homepage accused the ELN of "attacks that we only expected from the enemy".[51]

On 26 May 2008 the ELN wrote a letter to the FARC secretariat, seeking cooperation with Colombia's largest rebel group to overcome "the difficulties we are experiencing in today's Colombian insurgent movement".[52]The letter was published on the ELN website.[53]On 27 June 2017, FARC ceased to be an armed group, disarming itself and handing over its weapons to the United Nations.[54]

FARC dissidents[edit]

According toInSight Crime,the ELN andFARC dissidentsallegedly met together in Venezuela to form a potential alliance in October 2018. Sources based in theArauca departmentin Colombia provided the information, with reports that the groups would participate in illicit activity together. It was also alleged that former FARC commanderIván Márquezparticipated in the talks with the ELN.[55]

Venezuela[edit]

Since the 1990s, the ELN began to establish positions in the western border states of Venezuela.[56]The ELN grew close to Venezuelan officials during the tenure of Venezuelan presidentHugo Chávez,with Chávez approving relationships with the group.[56][57]

InSight Crime also states that Venezuelan presidentNicolás Madurowas tolerant of the ELN, explaining that "ELN’s expansion in Venezuela has been marked by the Maduro administration’s inaction and even encouragement towards the group"; according to the group, the ELN operates in at least 12 of the 23 states of Venezuela.[58]The Venezuelan NGO Fundación Redes has reported that the Venezuelan military had possibly armed ELN members.[59]In 2019, ELN supported Maduro during theVenezuelan presidential crisisand said they "will fight" US troops if they invade Venezuela.[60]

Tupamaros[edit]

The ELN has received support from theTupamaromovement in Venezuela, a Venezuelancolectivoand political party. The Tupamaro movement supported the ELN's dialogue with the Colombian government, stating, "The Tupamaro Revolutionary Movement, now more than ever, stands in solidarity with this sister organization in the historic struggle against theneo-Granadianoligarchy andYankee imperialism.We strongly ratify all of our support for the guerrillas and the ELN High Command, in the process that is developed with the participation of the Colombian people in the resolution of the armed conflict and the construction of peace with social justice ".[4]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Estos son los departamentos donde hace presencia el Eln".eltiempo.com. 12 January 2018.Retrieved30 January2018.
  2. ^"Terrorist Organizations".CIA.Retrieved15 December2023.
  3. ^"Negociación y desmovilización con grupos armados (M-19, Epl, Prt, Maql y Crs)".2012-11-18.
  4. ^ab"Comunicado Del Movimiento Revolucionario Tupamaro".Colombian National Liberation Army(in European Spanish). 13 March 2017.Retrieved26 January2019.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^https://twitter.com/redstreamnet/status/1746949222757286040?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
  6. ^"Cómo es la guerrilla colombiana del ELN autora del atentado con carro bomba que dejó 21 muertos en Bogotá".BBC News Mundo.
  7. ^abCouncil Decision of 21 December 2005.Official Journal of the European Union. Accessed 2008-07-06
  8. ^"Colombia's ELN rebels release oil workers after brief capture -police".Reuters.October 18, 2013.
  9. ^"Desmovilización, principal arma contra las guerrillas"(in Spanish). eltiempo.com. 22 September 2013.Retrieved27 September2013.
  10. ^"Colombia army claims guerrillas have lost 5000 fighters in past 2 years".colombiareports.co. 25 September 2013.Retrieved27 September2013.
  11. ^"Fear of missing out".The Economist.Retrieved19 May2018.
  12. ^Duque, Iván [@ivanduque] (January 20, 2020)."En sesión del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional del pasado viernes, adoptamos listas de EE.UU y UE de los grupos terroristas más peligrosos del mundo, actualizadas a enero de 2020, en las que figura el Eln al lado de organizaciones criminales del mundo. #LuchaContraElTerrorismo"[In a session of the National Security Council last Friday, we adopted US and EU lists of the most dangerous terrorist groups in the world, updated to January 2020, in which the ELN appears alongside criminal organizations in the world.#LuchaContraElTerrorismo] (Tweet) (in Spanish).Retrieved2021-03-12– viaTwitter.
  13. ^"Foreign Terrorist Organizations".Retrieved28 January2018.
  14. ^"Currently listed entities".Retrieved28 January2018.
  15. ^"Designation of Six Terrorist Entities – 2022-go3560 – New Zealand Gazette".gazette.govt.nz.Retrieved2024-02-06.
  16. ^"GROUPS AND ENTITIES".Retrieved28 January2018.
  17. ^"¿Cómo es la guerrilla del ELN y qué la diferencia de las FARC?".Diferencias entre el ELN y las FARC.31 March 2016.
  18. ^Colombia plans new rebel meeting.BBC News. Accessed 2008-07-06
  19. ^"Movistar Store".tiendamovistar.terra.com.
  20. ^Comunicado Público, Febrero 24 – 2006.Archived2007-09-28 at theWayback MachineAlto Comisionado para la Paz. Accessed 2008-07-06
  21. ^Colombia: Soldier released.International Committee of the Red Cross. Accessed 2008-07-06
  22. ^Entrevista del Alto Comisionado para la Paz, Luis Carlos Restrepo Ramírez.Archived2007-09-28 at theWayback MachineAlto Comisionado para la Paz. Accessed 2008-07-06
  23. ^Declaración tercera ronda formal exploratoria.Archived2007-09-28 at theWayback MachineAlto Comisionado para la Paz. Accessed 2008-07-06
  24. ^"Uribe meets ELN to discuss continuation of peace talks".Colombia Reports. April 3, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon April 15, 2008.Retrieved2008-04-03.
  25. ^"ELN wants to negotiate peace with Colombian government".Colombia Reports. April 3, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 2021-10-22.Retrieved2008-04-03.
  26. ^"ELN sacks spokesman after talking to Uribe".Colombia Reports. April 7, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 2021-10-22.Retrieved2008-07-03.
  27. ^"18 ELN guerrillas surrender".Colombia Reports. 2008-12-08. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-12-10.
  28. ^ab"Colombia's ELN Peace Talks Explained".Washington Office on Latin America. 7 February 2017.Retrieved14 December2022.
  29. ^"Colombian government and ELN rebels agree ceasefire".BBC News.September 4, 2017.RetrievedSeptember 4,2017.
  30. ^"Las pistas sobre el ataque con carro bomba a Escuela de la Policía".El Tiempo.17 January 2019.Retrieved18 January2019.
  31. ^Radio, AFP, Caracol (17 January 2019)."Esto fue lo que sucedió y cómo entró la camioneta a Escuela de la Policía".Caracol Radio.Retrieved17 January2019.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  32. ^"Doloroso balance terrorista en Bogotá".KienyKe.2019-01-18.Retrieved2019-01-18.
  33. ^"ELN claims responsibility for Bogota car bomb that killed 20 at a police academy".CNN.21 January 2019.
  34. ^"Duque clausura diálogo con ELN en Cuba y lanza advertencia al gobierno de Venezuela (Video)".La Patilla(in European Spanish). 2019-01-18.Retrieved2019-01-19.
  35. ^"The Latest: Colombia's president reactivates arrest orders".Seymour Tribune.18 January 2019.Retrieved2019-01-19.[permanent dead link]
  36. ^"Colombia asks Cuba to extradite ELN rebels after bombing kills 21".Aljazeera English.20 January 2019.Retrieved2019-01-20.
  37. ^"Denuncian que guerrillas colombianas causaron muerte a venezolanos durante manifestaciones contra Maduro".Infobae(in Spanish). 25 January 2019.Retrieved28 January2019.
  38. ^"Colombia's ELN rebels call ceasefire over coronavirus".BBC.30 March 2020.
  39. ^"Colombia's illegal armed groups lost more than 5,000 members in 2020 -military commander".news.yahoo.com.Yahoo News. Reuters. January 5, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 5,2021.
  40. ^"Colombian government, left-wing ELN rebels launch new peace talks".Al Jazeera.22 November 2022.Retrieved11 December2022.
  41. ^abGuerrero, Juan Carlos Díaz (4 December 2022)."Peace talks in Colombia".Orbe Venezuela.Prensa Latina.Retrieved11 December2022.
  42. ^"Colombia's ELN rebels announce end-of-year ceasefire".Al Jazeera.19 December 2022.Retrieved21 December2022.
  43. ^"Colombia's government, ELN guerrillas complete first round of talks".Reuters.12 December 2022.Retrieved14 December2022.
  44. ^ab"Colombia, ELN rebels to resume peace talks in Mexico in February".Reuters.21 January 2023.Retrieved6 February2023.
  45. ^ab"Colombia peace talks with ELN rebels resume amid tensions".Al Jazeera.13 February 2023.Retrieved21 February2023.
  46. ^"Vera Grabe es designada como jefe negociadora del Gobierno en la mesa con el ELN".Noticias de Cali, Valle y Colombia – Periodico: Diario El País(in Spanish). 11 December 2023.Retrieved13 December2023.
  47. ^V. Guerilla Violations of International Humanitarian Law.ArchivedFebruary 13, 2008, at theWayback MachineHuman Right Watch. Accessed 2008-07-06
  48. ^"153 hostages died in the hands of the ELN".11 July 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 22 October 2021.RetrievedSeptember 2,2008.
  49. ^"ELN hostages are forgotten about, says País Libre".27 June 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 22 October 2021.RetrievedSeptember 2,2008.
  50. ^Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Colombia (word document).Archived2016-03-04 at theWayback MachineUnited Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Accessed 2008-07-06
  51. ^Colombian rebels turn on allies.BBC News. Accessed 2008-07-06
  52. ^"ELN seeks cooperation with FARC".Colombia Reports. June 6, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon May 19, 2020.RetrievedJune 6,2008.
  53. ^"Open letter to the FARC secretariat".ELN. May 26, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-06-06.
  54. ^"Colombia's Farc officially ceases to be an armed group".colombiareports.com.Retrieved15 August2017.
  55. ^Kirby, Shannon (2018-12-10)."FARC Dissidents and the ELN Turn Venezuela Into Criminal Enclave".InSight Crime.Retrieved2019-01-22.
  56. ^abVenezuela: A Mafia State?.Medellín, Colombia:InSight Crime.2018. p. 18.But Colombia was not content with simply exporting cocaine to Venezuela. By the 1990s, it was also exporting its civil conflict, with the rebel armies of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – FARC) and the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional – ELN) taking up residence in Venezuela's border states. Both groups have long been involved in the drug trade and developed close links with Venezuelan officials, often with the blessing of President Hugo Chávez.
  57. ^"Colombia: Evidence suggests Chávez gave FARC $300M".CNN. 2008-03-03. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-03-09.Retrieved2008-03-03.
  58. ^"El ELN opera en 12 estados de Venezuela".InSight Crime.13 November 2018.Retrieved3 January2019.
  59. ^Kirby, Shannon (2018-11-13)."ELN Now Present in Half of Venezuela".InSight Crime.Retrieved2019-01-22.
  60. ^Charles, Mathew (2 February 2019)."ELN interview: Colombian Marxist guerrillas 'will fight' US troops if they invade Venezuela".The Telegraph.Retrieved2 February2019.

External links[edit]

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