Deep in the dense jungle of Colombia's Chocó province, a commander of the National Liberation Army (ELN) told visiting journalists that the group would be willing to negotiate with the victor of the presidential runoff but was equally prepared to continue armed confrontation if dialogue was not offered. The commander, who identified himself by the nom de guerre 'Yerson', spoke while seated on a fallen tree trunk in heavy rain, his rifle across his legs and wearing a balaclava and an ELN scarf.
Colombians are set to elect a successor to President Gustavo Petro. Petro, who is identified in public discussion as left-leaning, attempted but did not conclude major peace pacts with armed groups during his term. Petro's ally, Ivan Cepeda, has said he would pursue a similar peace-focused approach, while right-wing lawyer Abelardo De La Espriella, the frontrunner in polling, has pledged a tougher military response against illegal armed groups including the ELN.
Readiness for talks - and for conflict
Yerson said the ELN's position is clear: "If whoever arrives at the Casa de Narino (presidential palace) invites dialogue and opens that space, the ELN will always be willing. If not, we will continue in confrontation." He acknowledged that the group could suffer from increased offensive operations, but he rejected the idea that a strong military campaign would eliminate the ELN.
"We have 62 years of experience in both offense and defense, and we will apply it, as we always have," Yerson said. "All governments have tried to hit us hard, and we have known how to adapt to different war contexts - that is how we have advanced. The ELN will not disappear because of a strong offensive, you can be completely sure of that."
The commander emphasized the group's longevity and experience, noting its nearly 62-year history of armed activity. He described the ELN as capable of adapting to changing military pressures.
Structure, membership and past negotiations
The ELN, now approaching its 62nd anniversary, comprises more than 6,000 members when armed fighters and unarmed support personnel are combined, according to the information discussed by the commander. The group has engaged in sporadic peace talks with successive Colombian governments since 1991, but no final accord has been achieved. Security sources attribute past failures to a diffuse chain of command and internal disagreements between the group's various fronts, factors that can complicate negotiation processes.
Yerson rejected claims of internal division, calling such assertions a strategy by the state to discredit the ELN's struggle. He also insisted that any meaningful peace agreement must include benefits targeted at poor communities.
The 2016 peace accord the government signed with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) included provisions for land reform and other measures intended to assist rural populations. However, a 2025 annual analysis by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies indicated that land reform and related programs were among the least implemented elements of that deal.
Funding methods and continued kidnappings
State authorities, former presidents and current security officials maintain that the ELN finances some activities through involvement in drug trafficking and illicit gold mining, particularly in regions like Chocó where several armed groups contest control. Yerson denied that the ELN participates in producing or trafficking cocaine but conceded the movement taxes traffickers, miners and businesses involved in transport and cattle ranching in territories it controls.
He said kidnappings - which he called "economic detentions" - would continue as a revenue source. "That is a cornerstone - if we allow ourselves to be broken economically, we will not be able to survive," he said.
The commander stated that the ELN has increased its membership, broadened territorial reach and modernized armaments, including the adoption of attack drones, during the current government and prior administrations. He argued these trends reflect adaptation rather than an indication of inevitable decline under pressure.
Human rights allegations and international designations
Authorities have accused the ELN of human rights abuses including murder, forced disappearance and forced displacement. The group is designated as a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union, a fact noted by officials and in public reporting on the group.
Yerson also addressed the group's posture toward domestic dissent, saying the ELN would align with demonstrators if protests erupted against a possible right-wing administration. Governments have regularly accused armed organizations of exploiting demonstrations and of recruiting young people to carry out violent acts during otherwise peaceful protests - an accusation the commander did not deny in the statements provided.
Implications and outlook
The ELN's articulated dual readiness - to talk if invited and to fight if rebuffed - presents a clear conditional framework ahead of the presidential transition. The group's continued reliance on taxation of illicit activities and on kidnappings as funding mechanisms underscores persistent security challenges in resource-rich and transport corridors where the state has limited control.
Officials and observers will likely monitor several indicators in the coming months: whether a newly elected administration extends a genuine invitation to negotiate; the intensity and reach of any expanded military campaign; and changes in the ELN's funding and recruitment patterns in contested areas such as Chocó. For now, the commander conveyed confidence in the group's capacity to withstand intensified operations while remaining open to a negotiated path if an incoming government offers it.