Alias ​​”Gabino” resigns from the ELN command for “health reasons”

(CNN Spanish) – The first commander of the National Liberation Army (ELN), Nicolás Rodríguez Bautista, alias “Gabino,” resigned for “health reasons,” the armed group announced in a statement on Thursday.

That position will now be held by Antonio García “in accordance with the statutory provisions.”

In his resignation letter, “Gabino” indicated that in July 2018 he had moved to Cuba to receive “health treatment” that must continue.

“This unfortunate circumstance prevents me from carrying out my duties as First Commander of the ELN, which led me to submit my resignation to that position, which has been accepted,” he wrote.

He added that both the group and the Colombian people can continue to count on his efforts “in the fight for a Colombia at peace with social justice” and that he will continue to be available as a representative member of the ELN for future peace talks.

The letter concluded by thanking Cuba for its “generosity and humanist solidarity.”