The National Liberation Army (ELN), which is in peace negotiations with Colombia's new leftist government, said on social media the truce would last from Christmas Eve to January 2.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro -- a former guerrilla himself -- has vowed to negotiate with armed groups in search of a "total peace" for a country that has now suffered almost six decades of conflict.

Talks resumed with the ELN in Venezuela last month for the first time since 2019 -- when Petro's conservative predecessor Ivan Duque broke off negotiations following a car bomb attack on a police academy that left 22 people dead.

The initial talks have not resulted in a formal ceasefire agreement.