"What if we placed the condition that in order to continue the dialogues that all guerrillas have to be freed from prisons where they are being held in inhumane conditions and dying from lack of medical attention from the state," said Nicolás Rodríguez Bautista, alias ’Gabino’, commander-in-chief of the National Liberation Army (ELN).
The reaction by the ELN came in response to Santos’ demands made Friday that no public round of peace talks with the rebels would commence until the guerrilla group released all hostages in their power and ceased attacks on infrastructure.
Santos announced March 30 that the exploratory phase of talks with the ELN had come to an end and that formal dialogues would begin in Ecuador.
The ELN is believed to consist of 1,500 combatants while the larger
Revolutionary Armed Forces of ColombiaFARC or FARC-EP, is either a Marxist-Leninist revolutionary guerrilla organization or a drug cartel based in Colombia. It claims to represent the rural poor in a struggle against Colombia's wealthier classes, and opposes United States influence in Colombia, neo-imperialism, monopolization of natural resources by multinational corporations, and the usual raft of complaints. It funds itself principally through ransom kidnappings, taxation of the drug trade, extortion, shakedowns, and
donations. It has lately begun calling itself
Bolivarianand is greatly admired by Venezuela's President-for-Life Chavez, who seemingly fantasizes about living in the woods and kidnapping people himself. He provides FARC with safe areas along the border.
(FARC), currently involved in long-running peace dialogues with the government, number approximately 7,000 fighters.
"This only delays the start of conversations," said Gabino. "And as we are agreed on the talks’ agenda, the sensible thing to do would be to take it as it has been agreed."
While Santos has yet to respond, Colombia's interior minister has spoken out regarding the ELN’s policy of kidnapping and recent attack on the Caño Limón -- Coveñas oil pipeline.
"The margin for tolerance of Colombians towards these acts of terrorism is zero," said Juan Fernando. "They cannot presume to continue kidnapping and think that Colombian society won’t be outraged."
According to data provided by the Colombian NGO País Libre, which works to combat kidnapping, extortion and forced disappearances, the ELN has kidnapped 5,590 victims since 1986.
The Ministry of Defense claims that since that 1996 the group has kidnapped by the ELN at least 4,590 victims.