----- Original Message ----- From: Pakito Arriaran <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2000 2:52 PM Subject: MLL: Colombia: Liberated territory > Associated Press, April 25, 2000 > > Pastrana Announces Tentative Pact Granting More Land to Rebels > > By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS > > BOGOTA, Colombia -- President Andres Pastrana has reached a preliminary > agreement with Colombia's second-largest rebel army to withdraw government > troops from a northern region as a condition for opening peace talks. > > Pastrana, however, specified neither a timetable nor the geographical > confines for the pullout zone. Instead, he announced Monday "a general > framework of an understanding" with the leftist National Liberation Army, > or ELN. > > The demilitarized zone would be the second conceded to a leftist rebel band > by Pastrana since he took office in August 1998 after running a > single-issue campaign focused on promises to end 36 years of civil strife. > > Pastrana granted the larger Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or > FARC, a Switzerland-sized southern region 17 months ago as a condition for > launching peace talks that have proceeded at a snail's pace -- without a > cease-fire. > > The ELN's leader, Nicolas Rodriguez, told Radionet network his movement had > reached "a basic accord" with the government to convene a "national > convention" in the pullout zone as a prelude to peace talks. > > The Cuban-inspired ELN, with an estimated 5,000 combatants, has recently > tested the nation with a withering sabotage campaign, knocking out > electrical power to millions by dynamiting power pylons and snarling major > highways with attacks on commercial traffic. > > Last year, it seized everyone aboard a domestic airliner and celebrants of > a Catholic Mass to push its desire for political recognition equal to what > the FARC received. > > The ELN has released all but five of the nearly 200 airplane and Mass > hostages -- and declared an Easter week truce that coincided with > negotiations in which Colombia's ambassador to Cuba, Julio Londono, > presided over the government delegation. > > But the rebel band also vowed not to cease hostilities until granted its > own demilitarized zone in its traditional stronghold in the northern state > of Bolivar. > > That proposed zone differs vastly, however, from the southern region > granted the FARC. Right-wing paramilitary fighters have infiltrated the > traditional ELN stronghold, which is rich in gold and in illegal cocaine > cultivation and includes Colombia's principal waterway, the Magdalena River. > > In addition, thousands of peasants have launched dayslong protests against > the demilitarized zone, snarling traffic on major north-south highways. > > Both Pastrana and Rodriguez said international and domestic observers would > monitor the peace process with the ELN. > > The rebel commander said the pullout zone would comprise San Pablo and > Cantagallo counties in Bolivar and Yondo county in Antioquia state to the > west. > > "With the present agreement we are seeking to make serious steps in > constructing a solution to the conflict by means different from war," said > Rodriguez. > > > Louis Proyect > > (The Marxism mailing list: http://www.marxmail.org) --- from list [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---
