Text by Luis Jaime Acosta
JUNGLE OF CHOCO PROVINCE, COLOMBIA June 17, 2026 (Reuters) – Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels are willing to seek peace with whoever wins Sunday’s presidential runoff, but are also confident they can survive a renewed military offensive promised by the right-wing frontrunner, the commander of one of the group’s fronts told Reuters deep in the dense green jungle of Colombia’s northwest.
Colombians will choose a successor to leftist President Gustavo Petro, who tried but failed to ink major peace deals with armed groups. Petro’s ally Ivan Cepeda has promised to continue the strategy to end the country’s more than 60 years of internal conflict, but is trailing in the polls behind right-wing lawyer Abelardo De La Espriella, who has pledged a crackdown on illegal armed groups like the ELN.
Continue reading: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/colombias-eln-open-talks-with-new-president-says-it-can-survive-military-2026-06-17/
