President Obama on Thursday hailed the “historic day” marked by the finalization of a peace deal between the government of Colombia and Marxist rebels, bringing to an end the longest-running war in the Western Hemisphere.
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The government and the FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, said on Wednesday that they had reached an agreement that effectively ends a 52-year conflict that led to the deaths of more than 220,000 people and left millions displaced.
The next step is up to the Colombian people: President Juan Manuel Santos says he’ll be holding a referendum on October 2, with a yes-or-no vote on the agreement.
The agency paid tribute to the key role of the Catholic Church in Colombia: both as a mediator between the two sides during the negotiations and in a new role of helping people understand the implications of this peace accord and promoting reconciliation.
Clare Dixon, head of CAFOD Latin America said: “The agreement is a major step forward on what will be a long road to peace in Colombia, one which requires the transformation of the country and the accompaniment and participation of all of Colombian society and the worldwide community”.
After the agreement is signed, the FARC will begin mobilizing its troops to 31 zones scattered across the country, and 90 days later they are supposed to begin handing their weapons over to United Nations-sponsored monitors. In this regard, the High Commissioner for Peace, Sergio Jaramillo, said the guerrilla members should participate in a democracy, to campaign and convince the Colombians of their ideas, and to ensure that a life insurance is assured with this transition.
“We don’t want one more victim in Colombia”.
The Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas signed a formal conclusion of the peace talks Wednesday after nearly four years of negotiations in Havana.
The team that spent almost four years negotiating with the FARC in Havana held a news conference to defend the deal, saying the government and society must help integrate the fighters, some who have spent decades in camps. The US president, Barack Obama, also welcomed the deal. The peace talks are reportedly finalized, but there’s a lot to do for government and FARC for taking into effect this historical peace agreement.
The much-smaller National Liberation Army also remains active, although it’s pursuing its own peace deal. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article. “To leave this conflict behind us and dedicate our efforts to constructing a safer country, a calmer country, faire, better educated, for our children and for our grandchildren”, Santos told the nation.
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Be Civil – It’s OK to have a difference in opinion but there’s no need to be a jerk. “I know what is coming will be hard, but together we can cope”.
