- Title: Colombia´s capital readies for signing of ammended peace agreement
- Date: 24th November 2016
- Summary: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (NOVEMBER 24, 2016) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF CONGRESS BUILDING IN BOLIVAR PLAZA VARIOUS OF A MAN DRESSED AS THE DOVE OF PEACE WITH LARGE WHITE WINGS WAVING A COLOMBIAN FLAG VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS GUARDING STREETS NEAR TO GOVERNMENT PALACE COLOMBIAN FLAGS HUNG IN NARROW STREETS, AN AMBULANCE TURNING INTO STREET SOLDIERS GUARDING STREETS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) COLOMBIAN, JULIO CESAR GONZALEZ, SAYING: "I think that it will depend a lot on the plan for socialisation in the future, and how those conflicts are managed in the zones where this war is really lived, but I think the signing (of this agreement) is a big step, and important step which the country needs after so many years." POLICE WALKING IN FRONT OF A STAGE BEING SET UP FOR THE PUBLIC TO WATCH THE SIGNING VARIOUS OF WORKERS PREPARING STAGE A MAN WALKING DOWN THE STREET READING A NEWSPAPER PEOPLE WALKING DOWN THE STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) COLOMBIAN, JAIME RAMIREZ, SAYING: "I think that the path towards peace that was proposed by Uribismo was the correct path and the one they should have followed. This will continue to create polarization and many points of divergence between Colombians." VARIOUS OF POLICE GUARDING CHECK POINT NEAR PRESIDENTIAL PALACE CATHEDRAL IN BOLIVAR PLAZA
- Embargoed: 9th December 2016 14:24
- Keywords: peace peace accord Colombia FARC Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
- Location: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
- City: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
- Country: Colombia
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA00159T1MBR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Preparations were made in Colombia´s capital, Bogota, on Thursday (November 24) morning for the signing of an amended peace agreement between the government and Marxist FARC rebels aimed at bringing a formal end to the 52-year civil war.
The revised document will be signed in Bogota between FARC leader Rodrigo Londono and Santos, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last month for his efforts to end the conflict with the insurgent group.
A stage was set up in the centre of the city for the public to watch the event, which is expected to be a quick and simple affair as opposed to the elaborate ceremony held for the signing of the original agreement in September, which was soon after rejected by popular vote.
Whilst the revised deal is intended to encompass demands from those who disagreed with the original deal, Colombians are still somewhat divided about the way forward.
"I think that it will depend a lot on the plan for socialisation in the future, and how those conflicts are managed in the zones where this war is really lived, but I think the signing (of this agreement) is an big step, and important step which the country needs after so many years," said Julio Cesar Gonzalez early on Thursday morning.
"I think that the path towards peace that was proposed by Uribismo was the correct path and the one they should have followed. This will continue to create polarization and many points of divergence between Colombians," said Jaime Ramirez.
The decision to ratify the revised accord in Congress instead of holding another referendum will anger members of the opposition, particularly former President Alvaro Uribe who spearheaded the push to reject the original accord and wants deeper changes to the new version.
The expanded and highly technical 310-page document appears to make only small modifications to the original text, such as clarifying private property rights and detailing more fully how the rebels would be confined in rural areas for crimes committed during the war.
Uribe has criticized it as just a slightly altered version of the original and wants rebel leaders to be banned from holding public office and for them to be jailed for crimes.
The government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have been in talks in Havana, Cuba for the last four years, hammering out a deal to end a conflict that has killed more than 220,000 and displaced millions in the Andean country. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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