Colombian Voters Reject Peace with FARC Rebels

Colombian citizens, in a referendum held after the signing of a peace agreement between the President and the rebels of the country, unexpectedly voted "no" on this agreement. With nearly all votes counted, opponents received 50.2% and supporters 49.7%. The peace agreement between the government and the FARC rebels was signed on October 5, with the presence of President Manuel Santos and rebel leader Timoleon Jimenez, along with other figures such as the President of Cuba and the U.S. Secretary of State. The government and rebels signed the peace agreement after half a century of conflict, which has left at least 220,000 dead, 80% of whom are civilians. After the signing of the agreement, the results were to be approved in a referendum. Until a week before the referendum, polls indicated a relatively wide "yes" vote for the agreement. Mr. Santos himself stated that if the peace agreement did not receive a favorable vote in the referendum, he had "no other plan" to implement. Nevertheless, expectations were unmet, and the opposition camp succeeded in casting doubt on both the agreement and the political future of the President and the status of the rebels. Manuel Santos acknowledged that the referendum vote meant a rejection of his efforts to achieve peace with the rebels, but he remains steadfast: "I will not surrender. I will continue my efforts for peace until the last day I am in this position." The rebels also stated that they remain committed to peace negotiations despite the referendum result. The agreement signed in early October had placed them on the list of potential winners of the Nobel Peace Prize this year. FARC, or the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, was a movement that began with uprisings among peasants and farmers. At one point, this group housed 20,000 militants and became a significant player in the cocaine trafficking and sales scene. With the official end of the insurgency, 7,000 remaining militants were to hand over their weapons to UN representatives within six months.