Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has announced in a televised address the suspension of peace talks with the National Liberation Army, or ELN rebels. This is in response to what he said were guerilla attacks earlier Wednesday.

Santos said the ELN had resumed "its terrorist attacks against the civilian population, the armed forces and infrastructure." Although Santos gave no further details, authorities reported a naval guard post had been hit in a grenade attack in the ELN stronghold of Arauca. Peace talks with Colombia's last rebel group had been set to resume in Quito, the capital of neighboring Ecuador, on Wednesday. But a 101-day ceasefire between the two sides expired at midnight without agreement to extend it. ELN commander Pablo Beltran called on the government to reconsider, insisting his side wanted talks on extending the ceasefire to continue.