Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos vows to pursue alternative peace deal with FARC despite devastating referendum defeat
Rebels said it would “remain faithful” to the accord signed last week with the government and called on Colombians to mobilise peacefully
Colombia’s government and Marxist guerrillas scrambled on Monday to revive a plan to end their 52-year war after voters rejected the hard-negotiated deal as too lenient on the rebels in a shock referendum result that plunged the nation into uncertainty.
Any renegotiated peace accord now seems to depend on whether the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) could accept tougher sanctions against them.
“No” voters, who narrowly won Sunday’s plebiscite, want assurances the rebels will hand in cash from drugs, spend time in jail, and earn their political future at the ballot box rather than get guaranteed, unelected seats in Congress.
With the will for peace from all sides, I am sure we can reach satisfactory solutions for everyone soon
Both President Juan Manuel Santos and Rodrigo Londono, the top FARC commander better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko, put a brave face on the referendum setback after four years of negotiations in Havana between their teams.
They vowed to maintain a ceasefire and keep working together, even though that could be another lengthy and complicated process.
“I will keep seeking peace until the last minute of my term,” said Santos, who leaves office in mid-2018.
In a statement, the FARC said it would “remain faithful” to the accord signed last week with the government and called on Colombians to mobilise peacefully to support terms of the existing agreement.