Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN)
National Liberation Army
Description
Marxist insurgent group formed in 1965 by urban intellectuals inspired by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. Began a dialogue with Colombian officials in 1999 following a campaign of mass kidnappings—each involving at least one US citizen—to demonstrate its strength and continuing viability and force the Pastrana administration to negotiate. Peace talks between Bogota and the ELN, started in 1999, continued sporadically but once again had broken down by year’s end.
Strength
Approximately 3,000 to 5,000 armed combatants and an unknown number of active supporters.
Location/Area of Operation
Mostly in rural and mountainous areas of north, northeast, and southwest Colombia and Venezuela border regions.
External Aid
Cuba provides some medical care and political consultation.
Activities
The National Liberation Army (ELN) operates primarily along Colombia's northeastern border with Venezuela and in central and northwestern Colombia. The territories under ELN influence include cannabis and opium poppy growing areas. Some ELN units raise funds through extortion or by protecting laboratory operations. Some ELN units may be independently involved in limited cocaine laboratory operations, but the ELN appears to be much less dependent than the FARC on coca and cocaine profits to fund its operations. The ELN expresses a disdain for illegal drugs, but does take advantage of the profits available where it controls coca producing areas.
Kidnapping, hijacking, bombing, and extortion. Minimal conventional military capability. Annually conducts hundreds of kidnappings for ransom, often targeting foreign employees of large corporations, especially in the petroleum industry. Derives some revenue from taxation of the illegal narcotics industry. Frequently assaults energy infrastructure and has inflicted major damage on pipelines and the electric distribution network.
On August 24, 2001, the National Liberation Army (ELN) terrorist organization in Colombia exploded powerful bombs in the cities of Medellin and Cucuta in the Norte de Santander Department. In Medellin, the bomb was planted behind a radio facility. The terrorists planted 35 kilograms of explosives in a trash container. Twenty-one people were injured and two buildings were destroyed. One hundred and forty families were affected by the terrorist attack. Six vehicles were also severely damaged. In Cucuta, the terrorists planted a car bomb in front of the governor's office. The most affected were civilians and storeowners. The loss among the storeowners was estimated at 400 million Colombian Pesos. The ELN had also planted six car bombs along several highways in the Norte de Santander Department 15 days earlier.
On December 6, 1999, the National Liberation Army (ELN) terrorist group exploded two bombs in government offices in the city of Medellin, Colombia, in an attempt to force the Mines Minister to resign. In addition to the minister's resignation, the terrorists aimed to stop the government sale of an electricity generating company (Isagen). In the first attack, the terrorists exploded a car bomb parked in front of the Isagen complex. A security guard was slightly injured and the building suffered considerable damage. The vehicle, loaded with about 35 kg of dynamite, had been stolen by the terrorists the day before and was left abandoned in front of Isagen early in the morning. Another bomb exploded near the regional office of the Labor Ministry located in downtown Medellin. The building was considerably damaged but there were no casualties. Previously, in less than a month, the ELN had also destroyed about 100 power pylons in northwestern Colombia, demanding that the government abandon efforts to privatize the electricity companies.
President Uribe's strong efforts to uproot the illegal guerilla groups in Colombia had a devastating effect on the ELN. The government successfully uprooted the ELN from their strongholds in Antioquia and Araucal and reduced its numbers to the point where they were all but eliminated militarily. Its numbers were estimated to be slightly above 3000 members. In response to the government crackdown, the ELN announced an alliance with the FARC in 2003 and claimed to be fighting side by side with Colombia’ largest guerilla army even through both groups ideology deviated significantly from one another.
As of 2006 the ELN, through dialogue with Cuban mediators, had agreed to enter into peace negotiations with the Colombian government. There had been several past attempts by the ELN to conduct negotiations with the central government, all which had ended in dissatisfaction of the terms and no conclusive agreement.
