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Jun 16, 20261
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Colombia Frees Two Elite Police Officers After Nearly One Year in ELN Captivity
Two Colombian elite police officers, Esley Hoyos Murcia and Yordin Fabián Pérez, were released Tuesday after nearly one year in captivity by the ELN guerrilla group. The officers were kidnapped in July 2025 while investigating attacks on human rights defenders in Arauca, and the ELN had previously announced a "sentence" to keep them imprisoned on espionage charges.
Quick Facts
Who
Esley Hoyos Murcia
What
Two police officers released after captivity
When
July 2025 - kidnapping of police officers
Where
Arauca state, Colombia
- Two police officers released after captivity
- Officers handed over to humanitarian mission
- ELN announced sentencing in May 2025
- Two prosecutors also held by ELN
- ELN announced unilateral ceasefire
Two Colombian police officers held captive by the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group for nearly a year were released on Tuesday and handed over to a humanitarian mission, according to Colombia's state ombudsman office. Esley Hoyos Murcia and Yordin Fabián Pérez, officers from an elite police unit that cooperates with Interpol, had been kidnapped in July 2025 in Arauca state while investigating attacks against social leaders and human rights defenders near the Venezuelan border.
The officers' plight became increasingly dire when the ELN announced in May that it had "sentenced" them to remain in captivity, alongside two prosecutors—Jesús Antonio Pacheco Oviedo and Rodrigo Antonio López Estrada—who were abducted in May 2025. The guerrilla group accused the officers of espionage, judicial manipulation, and membership in a state organization allegedly responsible for crimes against humanity. These accusations were immediately rejected by the Colombian government and international humanitarian organizations. The ombudsman's office reiterated that no armed group has the authority to judge, condemn, or use kidnapping as leverage or punishment.
The government delegation leading peace talks with the ELN confirmed the officers' release and stated it continues working toward freeing the two prosecutors. The dialogue process itself had been suspended in January 2025 after the ELN's armed incursion into Catatumbo triggered widespread violence affecting civilians. The kidnapping of the police officers further strained peace negotiations.
The ELN, founded in 1964 under the influence of the Cuban Revolution and liberation theology, has attempted peace negotiations with the Colombian state five times without success. Notably, the group announced a unilateral ceasefire beginning June 20 and ending June 23 to avoid disrupting the second round of Colombia's presidential election, in which leftist candidate Iván Cepeda, a former ELN peace negotiator, faces conservative Abelardo de la Espriella, who opposes continuing peace talks with the guerrilla.
Why This Matters
The release represents a rare humanitarian breakthrough in Colombia's prolonged conflict with guerrilla groups, but underscores ongoing tensions in peace negotiations. The ELN's continued detention of two prosecutors and use of arbitrary judicial 'sentences' against state officials highlight the fragility of dialogue processes in Latin America's longest-running internal conflict. International observers view such releases as critical signals of progress, yet the suspension of peace talks in January and military escalations in Catatumbo demonstrate how quickly humanitarian gains can be offset by resumed violence.
Timeline & Sources
Jan 1, 1964
WireNational Liberation Army (ELN) founded under inspiration of Cuban Revolution and liberation theology