The government of President Juan Manuel Santos and Colombia's second-biggest rebel group announced Tuesday they have initiated a peace process. In a statement published on the Colombian presidency's website, they said exploratory talks between the government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) will start in January with an agenda that will include "victims and the participation of society. The other topics remain to be agreed upon." The statement does not mention a timeline for formal talks or say when or where they might begin. It thanks Brazil, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Norway for "accompanying and helping to guarantee this process." The publication of the brief six-point statement comes five days before a presidential election in which Santos is seeking a second term against challenger Oscar Ivan Zuluaga. The government of Santos has been engaged in peace negotiations with the biggest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), since late 2012, and the fate of those talks could be determined by Sunday's runoff vote between Santos and Zuluaga.
