Ecuador will no longer host peace talks between Colombia and that country's last rebel group, Bogota's foreign minister said on Wednesday after recent attacks on the border between the neighbors.

The talks between Colombia's government and guerrillas of the ELN, the National Liberation Army, have been hosted in Quito since early 2017.

But Colombia's Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin said Bogota "understands the reasons why President (Lenin) Moreno has decided to step away from his condition as guarantor and host of these negotiations."

Holguin thanked Ecuador for its support and said talks will be transferred to either Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Norway or Venezuela.

Earlier Wednesday, Ecuador's Morena said he had asked his foreign ministry to "put the brakes on these discussions and put the brakes on our role as guarantor in this peace process as long as the ELN doesn't commit to stopping terrorist attacks."

There was no immediate comment from the ELN.

Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos is trying to conclude a peace agreement with the ELN, similar to the one signed with FARC guerrillas in November 2016. The FARC has since become a political party.

His remarks came as Ecuadoran and Colombian troops pressed a hunt along their respective sides of the border for the Oliver Sinisterra Front, another rebel group responsible for the kidnapping and murder of a three-member Ecuadoran journalist team.

The massive manhunt began on Friday after the journalists' deaths were confirmed. Colombia's police chief Jorge Nieto said on Wednesday they had captured one of the group's leaders.

He identified him as Vicente Canticus Pascal, who goes by the name "Brayan."

"He is a leader of this organization which is run by Guacho," a former middle-ranking FARC commander, Nieto told reporters in the port city of Tumaco, where the Colombian hunt is focused.

He said Brayan was suspected of "direct responsibility" for attacks on police and electricity pylons in the Tumaco area that have left hundreds of thousands of people without power.

Officials believe Guacho and his group of around 70-80 rebels work for Mexico's Sinaloa cartel.

Until now, Ecuador has been unable to locate the remains of the murdered journalist team after Guacho suspended moves to coordinate their return on Monday.

The rebels have since announced the capture of another Ecuadoran couple whose whereabouts remain unknown.

Related Links
Space War News

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

US lawmakers jolted by Syria briefing, Pentagon warns of IS resurgence
Washington (AFP) April 18, 2018
The US military's hands-off approach on the ground in Syria is ceding influence to Russia and Iran, a top lawmaker warned Tuesday, as the Pentagon said it has seen the Islamic State "resurge" in parts of the country. Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker said Moscow and Tehran have "significant influence" in the war-ravaged Middle Eastern nation due to their years-long commitment, while President Donald Trump signals the US could be headed for the exits there. When asked whether ... read more