Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno Suspends ELN Peace Talks in Ecuadorian Territory

On April 18, the President of Ecuador Lenín Moreno announced in a press conference that he ordered Ecuadorian Foreign Minister María Ángela Holguín to suspend the role of Ecuador as a guarantor state in the peace talks between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and Colombian Government, that are currently taking place in Quito, Ecuador’s capital. This move happens just a week after it was confirmed that three Ecuadorian journalists who had been kidnapped, were executed by FARC dissident groups.

These recent developments are happening in the background of growing speculation about Lenin’s relationship with the United States. As he shifts away from Ecuador’s role in supporting Latin American unity, Moreno and members of his government have had several meetings with members of the United States government and Army. With the recent insecurity in the North, the rumors about military aid and training with the United States and even a military base being established in Ecuadorian land, something Correa vehemently opposed. The silencing of Julian Assange can also be seen in the same line.

In the press conference he stated: “I have asked the Foreign Minister of Ecuador to stop these conversations and our condition as guarantor of this Peace Process, while the ELN does not commit to stop these terrorist activities”.

This announcement is a significant blow to a peace process that has been fraught with delays, difficulties and insecurities since it was announced. Only a month ago, the ELN and Colombian government peace talks were resumed after being suspended for two months. With this announcement, the peace talks will have to be moved to another location and this process is not overnight.

Moreno’s decision was saluted by several extreme-right Colombian politicians, including presidential candidates. Given that the first-round of the presidential elections will take place in just a month on May 27, the question arises of whether or not these peace talks will even be continued if someone like German Vargas Lleras or Iván Duque wins.

Celebro la decisión del presidente @Lenin de suspender su apoyo a los diálogos con el ELN, que no mostró voluntad de paz y solo estaba ganando tiempo para fortalecerse, de la misma manera que sucedió con las Farc en el Cagúan.

— Germán Vargas Lleras (@German_Vargas) April 18, 2018

[I celebrate the decision of President Lenín to suspend his support to the dialogues with the ELN, who did not show will for peace and was only gaining time to strengthen themselves, in the same way that the FARC did in Cagúan.]

Buen ejemplo del Presidente Lenín Moreno del Ecuador: prohibir diálogo con ELN mientras persista la violencia

— Álvaro Uribe Vélez (@AlvaroUribeVel) April 18, 2018

[Good Example President Lenín Moreno of Ecuador: prohibit dialogue with ELN while violence persists.]

Buen ejemplo del Presidente Lenín Moreno del Ecuador: prohibir diálogo con ELN mientras persista la violencia

— Álvaro Uribe Vélez (@AlvaroUribeVel) April 18, 2018

[President Lenín Moreno is completely right to suspend the dialogues with the ELN in Quito. We have warned this for a while now. What the Santos government did not do, its good that the Ecuadorian government did it.]

Tiene toda la razón el presidente Lenin Moreno en suspender la mesa de diálogos con ELN en Quito. Nosotros lo hemos advertido desde hace mucho tiempo. Lo que no hizo el gobierno Santos, bien lo hace el gobierno de Ecuador.

— Iván Duque (@IvanDuque) April 18, 2018

This move by Moreno happens in the midst of a growing conflict in the northern border region with Colombia, where a dissident faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Oliver Sinisterra Front has carried out several violent actions in the northern region of Ecuador against Ecuadorian Public Force and civilians. Both nations were shocked when the three employees of the Ecuadorian newspaper El Comercio Paúl, Javier and Efraín, were kidnapped by the dissident group and later killed after 19 days. Just two days ago on April 17, it was confirmed that an Ecuadorian couple was also kidnapped by the dissident faction after a video was leaked to press.

Though the Oliver Sinisterra Front has its origins in the FARC, their demands now are more focused on their ability to traffic drugs in Ecuadorian territory, and respond to the logic of criminal armed groups more than the guerrillas.

Lenín Moreno was heavily criticized by Ecuadorian civil society for not doing enough to respond to the situation to ensure the survival of the workers and to respond to the criminal activity in the uncontrolled Northern border with Colombia. This move against the guerrilla group and its search for peace can be seen as a misguided attempt to show to his country that he will not tolerate any of these groups.

In a deeper way, this announcement solidifies the deviation of Lenin Moreno from his predecessor Rafael Correa and from his former party Alianza País. Last Tuesday April 10, there was a massive mobilization in the capital, Quito, and Ecuadorians denounced what they felt as the deception and betrayal of Lenin Moreno to those who had brought him to office, the political sectors aligned with Correa, the Citizen Revolution and diverse social movements. It is also worth noting that during Correa’s presidency, Ecuador was a crucial important supporter of both peace processes in Colombia and its support was fundamental to the realization of the current peace process with ELN.

Terrible noticia, no solo para Colombia, sino para toda nuestra América.
Definitivamente, el cargo le quedó inmenso a este señor.
Nuevamente disculpas a la Patria Grande. https://t.co/1HbuPrGbwz

— Rafael Correa (@MashiRafael) April 18, 2018

[Terrible news, not only for Colombia, but all of Our America. Without a doubt the weight was too much to bear for him (Moreno). Again I apologize to Our Latin America.]

Can Moreno’s retreat from the ELN peace talks be seen as an appeasement tactic to the United States and a way to open up Ecuador to militarization? Following the confirmation of deaths of journalists, Moreno’s government announced Ecuador would be engaging in a joint military operative with the Colombian Army against the FARC dissident group, and the border zone is becoming increasingly militarized. In the next few days or weeks, the new location of the peace talks between the Colombian government and the ELN will be revealed. And it will be important to continue insisting that real advances are made in this peace processes, wherever it happens.