QUITO, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The dialogue between the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) is seeing progress on topics such as the participation of Colombian society in the peace process, Pablo Beltran, the ELN's chief negotiator said Friday.
In an interview with Radio Public de Ecuador, Beltran called the first round of peace talks, which began on Feb. 7 in Quito, Ecuador, as positive.
The two sides are seeking to put a definitive end to half a century of armed conflict in Colombia.
"We have begun the first two roundtable discussions in this first month, we have a two-stage process for the participation of society, which is a major first step," indicated Beltran. "We have also advanced on common areas such as the first humanitarian relief agreements."
According to the negotiator, the government's demand for the ELN to stop kidnappings "is a point of debate...to produce a first humanitarian agreement."
However, the ELN is concerned about how to "stop the political genocide happening against leaders from alternative social movements in Colombia."
Finally, Beltran guaranteed that Ecuador would continue to support the Colombian peace process, no matter who wins Sunday's presidential elections. Ecuador is a guarantor of the peace talks, along with Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Norway and Venezuela.
He said that, if Colombia's armed conflict ends, the political struggle will continue to improve the quality of life and sovereignty in Colombia but "without force, without violence."
The ELN is the only remaining active guerrilla group in Colombia, with about 1,500 soldiers, after the government sealed a peace agreement with the FARC in 2016.
