Danilo Rueda has it in his hands to change the political cycle in Colombia. The President has lost the initiative. His opponents have smelled blood in the admissions of his former campaign manager Armando Benedetti about possible irregular funding of his presidential bid. Petro seems trapped in this narrative that prevents him from moving on. And Rueda can make a coup this Thursday. The peace commissioner has agreed to a ceasefire with the ELN (National Liberation Army of Colombia) that can put the government back on the road to success. It was’nt easy. The guerrillas, used to the jungle’s inscrutable times, have been resisting for months, letting Petro understand that no one, not even the wearer of the presidential sash, is attacking them. Rueda, a somewhat elusive interviewee, answers from Havana, Cuba.
Questions. What will the ceasefire look like? National? Regional?
Answer. It will be national. It is the first time that the ELN is preparing for a six-month bilateral hiring. Never before has this been achieved in a peace process with these guerrillas. We’re making significant progress.
Q Are other armed groups involved?
R This commitment to peace is comprehensive and claims to be final. This is total peace. This is an unprecedented process in the world. He is ambitious but also realistic. At the same time, the EMC aims to advance urban peace processes [Estado Mayor Central]the Second Marquetalia [ambas escisiones disidentes de las FARC], with the Clan del Golfo and with the Sierra Nevada Self-Defense Forces – all joining forces in arms. It focuses on the voices and stories of thousands of people who continue to suffer from various forms of armed violence. And the delegitimization of violence for political and profit reasons.
Q It gives the feeling of being a fire extinguisher for the president. He gets you into trouble with the ELN (he recently said the guerrilla’s raison d’être is drug trafficking, leading to a deep crisis in the negotiations), and you cushion it.
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R It is a misjudgment: there are no fires to extinguish here. Our goal is to quench the fires of the multiple armed violence that has caused so many victims. There are ethical and political choices based on the territories and the demands of the communities that continue to suffer violence. All of this is part of the peace policy. This is our north, this is our everyday life, with misunderstood steps, with setbacks, but with the conviction that it is the right thing to do at this time.
Q Do you ever pray for the peace process?
R Every day I wake up to the voices of communities that continue to demand peace with social and environmental justice, loud, silent, in letters, in writing, in videos. This is what motivates me and gives me the strength to take a deep breath, not to give up, to make the dream come true and achieve the goal of this government: final peace.
Q Who is your interlocutor with Petro since Laura Sarabia is not here?
R My interlocutor has always been President Gustavo Petro.
Q When will the round table in Itagüi begin, the peace process with urban gangs?
R The social justice space was set up last Friday in Itagüi prison. And then we had an action in the Bello metropolitan area involving young people and women who supported the construction. There are signs of hope for an end to urban violence in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley.
Q The negotiators with the FARC during the Juan Manuel Santos era say they gave in too much to the ELN. What do you think?
R I don’t know what they said about this process. We are in dialogue and our delegation, led by Otty Patiño, clearly shows that plurality, inclusion and dialogue lead to change and positive outcomes for the resolution of the armed conflict that our country suffers.
Q They had a deal with Ambassador Benedetti when the cycle was in Caracas. How did you view his crushing departure?
R We had very brief conversations with Dr. Benedetti, always respectful. There is already a new ambassador and government policy is taking its course.
Q Reducing deforestation in the jungle depends on the goodwill of the EMC that dominates these areas. Do you find a true will on your part?
R Petro’s policy is to rebuild the social and forestry rule of law. this is peace Addressing the inequalities that millions of Colombians live with is the priority. And that was manifested and revealed in the midst of the social outburst. The EMC’s gestures on environmental issues were new and important. However, it must be noted that our government’s environmental policies are absolutely transformative from a social and environmental justice perspective.
Q Are you under more pressure now that there are more problems in government? Does Petro need results at a sticky moment?
R The responsibilities before the country in terms of peace have been the same since August 7 last year [cuando empezaron las conversaciones con el ELN]. At stake here are the present and future of children and young people, as well as the well-being and beautiful existence of Colombian men and women. It’s a historic opportunity that we’ve never had before. That means building trust; Face the fears our society lives with, sometimes riddled with misinformation. Give the gift of confidence that peace breeds prosperity.
Q Has there been a rapprochement with Segunda Marquetalia and Iván Márquez lately?
R The process continues in a confidentiality phase. We hope to remove some obstacles to move forward.
Q What is the health of Marquez, the guerrilla who suffered an attack last year and was blind in one eye?
R In the last conversation I had with Márquez, I observed him well, clearly and with a very coherent and consistent interpretation of reality.
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