Germany is trying to convince Colombia’s president Ivan Duque to back off on his demands the Castro dictatorship turn over ELN terrorists hiding in Cuba. The ELN leaders have been holed up in Cuba under the protection of the Castro regime since their terrorist group set off a bomb in Bogota last month killing more than 20 and injuring dozens more.
To his credit, Duque is refusing to bow to pressure from Germany:
“While I am President of Colombia, the only protocol which I accept is that the Cuban government hand over those [ELN leaders] responsible for the terrorist attack.”
The UN and Germany’s disgraceful attempt to pressure Colombia shows it is acting more in the interests of the ELN terrorists and the terror-sponsoring Cuban regime than it is in the interests of Colombia and justice.
Colombia’s President Duque has defied diplomatic convention by openly challenging his German counterpart on ELN peace protocols on Tuesday.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was on a state visit to Colombia on Tuesday, weeks after his government urged Duque and his government not to violate international agreements made ahead of peace talks with the ELN.
German President Frank Walter Steinmeier is not head of government and thus barred from making public policy statements. Duque took advantage by insisting on his refusal to allow ELN peace negotiators reunite with their troops as agreed ahead of peace talks with the ELN.
Steinmeier went no further than expressing hope that “new options for peace would emerge to put an end to the violence.”