section_path: History/First peace discussions: 2002–2017/Restored negotiations
section_name: Restored negotiations
paragraph_text: Restored negotiations
  
  Colombian President Álvaro Uribe invited ELN spokesman "Francisco Galán" for new talks about peace on 3 April 2008. The two spoke in the presidential palace. After the meeting Galán says the ELN will return to the negotiation table. The ELN released a press note shortly after that saying the rebel group "does not share the views" of "Galán" and dismissed him as their spokesman. The Marxist rebels did say they will continue to let "Galán" negotiate between the Colombian government and the rebels.
  
  On 7 December, 2008 18 ELN guerillas surrendered to the Colombian army in the northwestern province of Chocó.
  
  In March 2016 the resumption of peace talks between the parties were announced, but were put on hold until the release of all hostages still kept by the ELN. The last hostages were finally released in February 2017 and the talks commenced in the same month, with Pablo Beltrán and Juan Camilo Restrepo heading the delegations of the ELN and the Colombian government, respectively.
  
  On 4 September 2017, the ELN and President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia announced a truce to begin on 1 October and to last at least until 12 January 2018.
  
  From 25 to 29 May the group had a ceasefire so that "those who want to vote can do so peacefully" during the 2018 Colombian presidential election. The ELN said it "reserve the right to defend in case of an attack" by security forces or other armed groups.