Colombia has asked the Venezuelan government of President Nicolas Maduro to be guarantor of talks with the National Liberation Army, or ELN, the last active rebel group in a country torn by decades of conflict.
In a speech, Maduro said, "Of course we agree!" It thus joins Chile and Cuba as guarantors of talks that the Bogota government hopes to hold with the ELN.
Petro has said there would soon be a meeting with the ELN in Venezuela, which Colombian military intelligence has said is hosting senior ELN leaders.
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