After half a century of war, the Colombian government and Farc rebels say they have reached a historic peace agreement. The two sides have been meeting in Havana, Cuba since November 2012. Both signed a bilateral ceasefire in June, which was needed before a final agreement could be reached.
An estimated 220,000 people have died in the decades-long conflict, and millions have been displaced.
“We haven’t slept but it was worth the effort,” said Sen. Roy Barreras speaking to Caracol Radio from Havana.
The final agreement will still need to voted on in a public referendum. Polls suggest most Colombians will back the deal.
From the Associated Press:
The government’s accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia must still be ratified by voters in a plebiscite in order to take effect. (…) The accord commits Colombia’s government to carrying out aggressive land reform, overhauling its anti-narcotics strategy and greatly expanding the state into traditionally neglected areas of the country.
Negotiations began in November 2012 and were plagued by distrust built up during decades of war propaganda on both sides.
Polls say most Colombians loathe the rebel group known as the FARC and show no hesitation labeling them “narco-terrorists” for their heavy involvement in Colombia’s cocaine trade, an association for which members of the group’s top leadership have been indicted in the U.S. Meanwhile, the FARC held onto a Cold War view of Colombia’s political and economic establishment as “oligarchs” at the service of the U.S.
From the BBC’s account:
“There is no room for winners or losers when you achieve peace through negotiations,” tweeted Farc negotiator Rodrigo Granda, known as Ricardo Tellez. “Colombia wins, death loses.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Farc’s leader Timoleon Jimenez, known as Timochenko, had tweeted that “at 18:00 in Colombia (24:00 BST) we will announce the end of the talks and the conclusion of the [peace] accord”.
“From Havana, I want to share with the Colombian people my satisfaction of having reached this point,” he said.