Colombian government and ELN rebels begin new effort to end 60 years of war

Negotiations with leftist guerrillas in Caracas are part of President Gustavo Petro's promise to bring total peace'

Negotiators from the Colombian government and the leftist National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group have begun fresh peace talks, the first major step in President Gustavo Petro's efforts to end nearly 60 years of war.

Petro, a former member of the M-19 insurgency who took office in August, has promised to bring total peace" to Colombia by negotiating with rebels and crime factions involved in drug trafficking and illegal mining.