BOGOTA. One of surprise, as even Mr Uribe, the main backer of the "no" vote, had predicted that the "yes" vote would win. With all the problems facing the agreement, it is easy to lose sight of what it has already accomplished.
After Colombia’s government signed a peace deal with the country’s main rebel group, ending decades of war and upheaval, both sides said it heralded a new era. VideoCourtroom escape sends police officer flying, Dawn sea swims leave you 'buzzing for the day' VideoDawn sea swims leave you 'buzzing for the day', Striking news pictures from around the world, The fight for women's prayer rights in Israel. Duque’s slightly-more-than-a-year in office has been marred by deep political divides, tethered especially to the government’s failure to comply with the country’s peace process, corruption and the killings of social leaders. “It’s not just a protest about ‘Can we change whoever is in the government’,” Sanchez said, “But it’s the fact that the whole political and economic system is failing the needs of the broader Latin Americans.”. When Colombia’s government signed a peace deal with the left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in 2016, it was heralded as the beginning of a new era. Police clashed with protesters throwing rocks and bottles and a cloud of tear gas hovered over the city centre. With nearly 9,000 weapons collected, the bulk of the FARC has been transformed from a fighting force and criminal organization into a political party with parliamentary representation. This was meant to ease its transition from insurgency into politics. President Santos said that the bilateral ceasefire between government forces and the Farc would remain in place. Columbia College is one of four schools that make up the university.
The way the armed group chose to lead its transition into a political party—the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force, which is also abbreviated as FARC—is a clear example of this. Renewed violence, a charged political environment, and the inherent difficulties of implementing parts of the plan have taken a toll. But now, almost three years after its signing, support for Colombia… Since its signing, most of the broader 13,000-strong insurgent movement has joined civilian life, including the nearly 7,000 fighters who have left the armed struggle. In a televised speech he stated six objections to a law governing the operation of a tribunal, known as the JEP, that investigates and judges members of the FARC and the armed forces for war crimes and crimes against humanity. She travelled to the capital, she said, to send a message to the Duque and the country. Referendum in April on whether to rewrite document and how after scrapping of Pinochet-era constitution emerged as protesters’ key demand ... Fri 15 Nov 2019 … This is the first time a Colombian president has reopened a legal question that had been settled by the constitutional court. Do they take this as a warning sign that they need to shift their approach … or do they buckle down and make this about something else?”, Qatar Airways gets $2bn state aid as losses grow amid COVID-19, Some 3,500 companies sue over Trump-imposed Chinese tariffs, US landlords sue over COVID-19 eviction ban as tenants struggle, Masks in short supply as COVID-19 and fires sweep US West Coast, Armenia-Azerbaijan clashes: How the world reacted, Sri Lanka returns containers of illegal waste to Britain: Customs, Israel’s ‘silent transfer’ of Palestinians out of Palestine, Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. “It depends a lot on how the government takes this. Colombia was divided regionally with most of the outlying provinces voting in favour of the agreement and those nearer the capital and inland voting against it. Video, Courtroom escape sends police officer flying, Dawn sea swims leave you 'buzzing for the day' Video, Dawn sea swims leave you 'buzzing for the day', The fight for women's prayer rights in Israel. A former member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), now a member of the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force (FARC) party, takes part in a protest in Bogotá on March 18. Not helping matters are the FARC’s own mistakes. Polls conducted ahead of Sunday's vote suggested a comfortable win for the "yes" campaign. “Today, I want to send the message that they respect our ancestral territories, that they respect life,” she said. Even if the government does not fully agree with the current peace deal, it should take steps to ensure its implementation. This, for many Colombians, was one step too far. Addressing the nation, President Santos said he accepted the result but would continue working to achieve peace. But in a surprise result, 50.2% of voters rejected the agreement compared with 49.8% who voted for it.