BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) 鈥� Two police officers who were held hostage for almost a year by largest remaining rebel group were released Tuesday, the nation鈥檚 human rights defender鈥檚 office said.
Their release comes days before the presidential election in Colombia, where candidates have debated continuing peace talks with the group.
Esley Hoyos and Yordin Fabi谩n P茅rez, two members of an elite unit that cooperates with Interpol, were kidnapped in July 2025 by the National Liberation Army, or ELN, while they were investigating crimes against community leaders and human rights defenders in Arauca, a province along 颁辞濒辞尘产颈补鈥檚 border with Venezuela.
The rebels used their own internal justice system to put the officers on trial for espionage and belonging to an agency that is 鈥渃ommitting crimes against humanity.鈥�
President Gustavo Petro launched peace talks with the ELN in 2022, but suspended negotiations with the group last year, following a string of attacks in northeast Colombia that displaced more than 56,000 people from their homes.
The two presidential candidates propose different approaches to the talks.
Abelardo de la Espriella, a conservative lawyer running on a tough-on-crime platform who won the most votes in the first round, has promised to take a more combative approach toward rebel groups like the ELN. He has said he will cancel peace talks between the government and illegal armed groups.
His rival, Sen. Iv谩n Cepeda, has said he will continue the talks as long as rebel groups respect the rights of community leaders and others in areas under their control.
The ELN on Monday said that it will against 颁辞濒辞尘产颈补鈥檚 military from June 20 to June 23 and refrain from interfering in the election.
Critics argue that the ELN and other groups that have entered negotiations with the Petro administration have used ceasefires to rearm and strengthen their grip over rural areas, where they tax local business and profit from the drug trade and illegal mining.
The ELN is also holding two Colombian prosecutors hostage, and charged them with espionage.
On Tuesday, the human rights defender鈥檚 office urged the group to release the prosecutors.
鈥淣o armed group can give itself the faculties of judging people or handing out sentences,鈥� the agency said in a statement.
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