The National Liberation Army (ELN) announced a unilateral ceasefire during the Christmas and New Year season, in what it described as a “message of peace” for the Colombian population. The measure will apply from 00:00 on December 24 to 00:00 on January 3, 2026 and implies the suspension of offensive military operations against the public force.
The announcement comes after a week of violence marked by at least 60 attacks in several regions of the country, including Bogotá and the Medellín Metropolitan Area, which left five people dead, mostly members of the armed forces, in addition to affecting the mobility and tranquility of the communities.
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In its statement, the ELN assured that the cessation of hostilities seeks to guarantee tranquility during the festivities, although it did not specify verification mechanisms or address the relationship with other armed groups operating in the country.
The ombudsman, Iris Marín, received the news with caution. “We received this message with some relief, but also with anguish,” he said, recalling that similar cessations in the past did not prevent attacks from continuing, as happened in Catatumbo a year ago, when thousands of people were displaced. Marín stressed that a gesture of coherence would be the release of those who remain kidnapped and requested that the cessation of hostilities also be extended to other armed groups.
We receive this message with some relief, but also with anguish.
Although it is essential to mention the obligation to respect the civilian population, in the actions of the ELN we observe sustained damage to the civilian population. A gesture of coherence would be, for example, the… https://t.co/LvfxJ4iJX7
— Iris Marín Ortiz (@MarnIris) December 21, 2025
The ELN’s announcement marks a new episode in the prolonged armed conflict in Colombia, while historically affected communities hope that this measure will translate into an effective decrease in violence during the festivities and in the first days of 2026.