Colombia's Number Two Rebel Group Agrees to Peace Talks

Colombia's second largest leftist guerrilla group announced Wednesday it is prepared to enter into formal peace negotiations with the government aimed at ending a half century old insurgency.

The National Liberation Front, or ELN by its Spanish acronym, would be following in the footsteps of the larger Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which has been in peace talks with the government for more than two years.

The ELN's leader, Nicolas Rodriguez, alias "Gabino," announced the decision to enter the peace talks in a video posted on the guerrilla group's Twitter account, @ELN_Colombia.

"The government has set forth its willingness to put an end to the armed conflict and to do so has convened the insurgency (to talks)," he said, reading a statement.

"We attend this dialogue to examine the true will of the government and the Colombian state; if we conclude that arms are not necessary, we are prepared to consider whether to stop using them," he said.

The announcement came on the 50th anniversary of the first armed attack by the ELN, which was inspired by the Cuban revolution.

"More than 50 years ago we rose up in arms because we understood that legal paths were closed to the struggles of the people," the ELN leader said. "We still consider that to be the case."

President Juan Manuel Santos on Monday invited the ELN to join his government in formal peace talks, after months of preliminary discussions.