Colombia, FARC sign historic peace deal ending long conflict
- by Douglas Reid
- in Health Care
- — Sep 29, 2016
Timochenko is the nom de guerre for 57-year-old revolutionary Rodrigo Londono.
President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC leader Rodrigo Londono, alias Timochenko, are expected to sign a peace accord to end more than five decades of conflict September 26 in the Caribbean city of Cartagena. "I apologize. for all the pain that we have caused", he said.
"Let nobody doubt that we will enter politics without weapons".
Colombia's government and its largest rebel movement signed a historic peace accord Monday in an emotional ceremony that seeks to put an end to a half-century of combat and put the war-weary nation on the path to reconciliation.
The Colombian government and the FARC reached agreement on a peace deal to end more than 50 years of armed conflict on 25 August 2016.
The last step will be taken on October 2, when the Colombian people will vote on whether to accept the agreement or not.
"We are being reborn to launch a new era of reconciliation and of building peace", Timochenko told a gathering of worldwide dignitaries including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, US Secretary of State John Kerry and some Latin American leaders, including Cuban President Raul Castro.
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(AP Photo/Fernando Vergara). A woman shouts slogans in support of the peace agreement prior the signing of the peace agreement between Colombia's government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, in Cartagena, Colombia, Monday, Sept. 26, .
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By scheduling the signing ceremony ahead of the vote, the Santos government and the guerrillas hope to boost public support for their accord and send the message that the pact is irreversible.
They will change from a guerrilla force into a political party nad be guaranteed at least 10 seats in congress over the next two legislative periods. The US State Department classifies the FARC as a terrorist organization and its leaders face US indictments on drug-trafficking charges.
(AP Photo/Fernando Vergara). Humberto de la Calle, center, head of Colombia's government peace negotiation team, accompanied by some of his team members pose for a photo with children after giving them a copy of the Colombian peace agreement during a c.
The deal comes after four years of talks in Havana, Cuba, between government and rebel negotiators.
His chant of "No more war" was picked up by the crowd in attendance, who repeated it over and over again.
Former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt had been kidnapped by FARC and held captive for six years.
On Monday, the European Union's top diplomat said that bloc of countries would take the FARC off of its terror list, opening the door for Colombia to receive roughly $600 million in European aid.
Peace for Colombia is peace for everyone.
Many families have been touched by rebel kidnappings and it will take years to heal the wounds from a conflict that claimed 220,000 lives and drove 8 million people from their homes. During the group's final conference as a guerrilla organization August 17-23 in southern Colombia, members voted unanimously in favor of the peace agreement and now will be removed from the list of terrorist groups by the European Union.
