President Gustavo Petro urged Colombians to celebrate the Christmas season without fear after the ELN declared an armed strike ordering residents to stay home and suspending commerce and transit in several cities until Wednesday morning. The ELN said the move responded to a perceived counterinsurgency plan and 'imperialist aggression,' likely referring to recent U.S. maritime strikes. Petro ordered security forces to act, criticized U.S. operations as disproportionate, and had already suspended peace talks with the ELN after deadly attacks in Catatumbo.
Petro Urges Colombians To Celebrate Christmas Despite ELN-Enforced Armed Strike
Colombia's President Gustavo Petro speaks at a ceremony marking the ninth anniversary of the signing of a peace deal between the state and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
BOGOTÁ, Colombia — President Gustavo Petro on Sunday urged Colombians to enjoy the Christmas season without fear after the National Liberation Army (ELN) announced an armed, or 'forced', strike in parts of the country. Petro reposted the ELN statement on X; the rebels instructed civilians to remain at home and asked businesses and public transportation to suspend operations until Wednesday at 6 a.m. local time.
The ELN framed the action as a response to a perceived 'counterinsurgency plan' and 'imperialist aggression,' an apparent reference to recent U.S. military activity in the region. The statement singled out Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Popayán and Barrancabermeja, and urged residents to avoid police and military facilities. Armed strikes by the ELN commonly lead to school closures, disruptions to commerce and transport, and threats against civilians who defy orders.
Petro's response: The president called the group’s measures threats to Colombia itself rather than to U.S. officials, and he said he had ordered security forces to take action against the ELN. 'Fear paralyzes us, and we will not allow ourselves to be threatened either by foreign powers or by drug traffickers dressed up as revolutionaries,' Petro said, urging citizens to celebrate the holidays despite the strike.
Regional Context
Since early September, U.S. forces have been carrying out strikes at sea targeting vessels suspected of carrying drugs to the United States; those operations have reportedly killed more than 80 people and began off Venezuela’s Caribbean coast before expanding into the eastern Pacific. In early December, then-President Donald Trump warned that countries including Colombia could be targeted. The U.S. has also increased its military presence in the region to levels described by many observers as the largest in generations — a buildup widely viewed as pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Petro has publicly condemned the maritime strikes as 'murders' and questioned whether the use of force has been proportionate. Tensions with the ELN escalated earlier in the year when Petro suspended peace talks after attacks in the Catatumbo region that reportedly left about 80 people dead.
What To Expect
Civilians in affected cities should anticipate limited public transport, closed schools and businesses, and increased security operations. Authorities have warned residents to follow official guidance while security forces pursue actions against the rebels. The situation remains fluid and may affect travel and public services through Wednesday morning.
