Colombian government's peace envoy Luis Carlos Restrepo on Friday condemned the rebel group National Liberation Army (ELN) for kidnappings during the peace talks in Cuba with the government.
The ELN, Colombia's second largest guerrilla group, kidnapped one person every week since the beginning of the peace talks and increased the kidnappings of foreigners in Colombia, holding them for ransom to finance their activities, Restrepo said.
The ELN's rebel chiefs authorized its commanders to kidnap foreigners and kidnapping has become the "small cash box" for ELN's front lines, he said.
The ELN usually held people in captivity for hours and asked for a high ransom, he added.
The ELN's spokesman Pablo Beltran said Thursday that the ELN seeks other ways to finance their activities in response to Colombian citizens' protests against kidnapping.
Restrepo said that the two sides had come to a preliminary agreement on releasing hostages during the 6th round of Colombia-ELN talks in Cuba in July and he hoped the ELN could ink the accord during the new round of talks in August.
"We hope it is possible to cease hostilities," Restrepo added.
Colombia's peace talks with the ELN, which started in 2005, include international delegates, the civil society and the Catholic church, as well as representatives from Cuba.
Source: Xinhua
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