Eye on the world: A lasting peace for Colombia

In “Colombians reject peace deal with FARC. What's Plan B?The Christian Science Monitor reports on the uncertainty that looms in Colombia after voters rejected the negotiated peace deal between the government and the guerrilla movement FARC (the Spanish acronym for Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). “After a stunning referendum defeat for a peace deal with leftist rebels, Colombians are asking what comes next for their war-torn country.” The four-year-long negotiations tried to end a war that has claimed 220,000 lives and has displaced millions. There was “huge support for the accord among foreign leaders, who have roundly heralded it as a model for a world beset by political violence and terrorism.” However, “with only 37 percent of the electorate bothering to vote … Colombians’ enthusiasm for the ambitious accord was lacking,” and “the [referendum] campaign exposed deep rifts in Colombian society, dividing many families and making clear the road to reconciliation would have been long and torturous even had the accord passed.” For now, a cease-fire has the war on pause, but the defeated peace deal leaves uncertainty about how the country will move forward peacefully.

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