Colombia's new peace deal with Farc rebels rejected by opposition

Thứ Tư, 23/11/2016, 10:20
Deal will be discussed by congress on Wednesday as government claims new accord includes amendments to 56 of 57 points raised by opposition.

The Colombian opposition has rejected the latest version of a peace agreement between Farc guerrillas and the country’s government, following a six-hour meeting with government delegates.

Rightwing senator and opposition leader Álvaro Uribe met Monday with Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos to review the revised accord.

Opposition leader Álvaro Uribe had met with President Juan Manuel Santos on Monday to review the revised accord. (Photo: EPA)

Colombian voters unexpectedly rejected an earlier version of the government’s peace deal with the Farc in an 2 October referendum.

“We insisted on the introduction of amendments to the agreement prepared by the government and the Farc, and the government opposed these changes on substantial subjects,” Uribe told journalists.

Opponents reiterated that if some of their demands were not definitively included in the new deal, it would be a mere “reworking of the agreement rejected by the citizens”.

“We are totally willing to engage in dialogue with the government and the guerrillas concerning these changes,” Uribe said.

The conservative leader said the opposition was proposing to meet guerrilla delegates who had arrived Monday in Bogota to prepare for the signing of the peace agreement.

According to the government, the new accord includes amendments pertaining to 56 of the 57 points raised by the opposition.

Santos, who won the Nobel Peace prize in October, said the deal would be presented to congress on Wednesday for discussion.

The armed conflict that has endured for more than half a century has left more than 260,000 dead, more than 60,000 missing and 6.9 million displaced.


The Guardian