- Title: Colombia's Santos touts peace deal at APEC Summit in Lima
- Date: 19th November 2016
- Summary: LIMA, PERU (NOVEMBER 19, 2016) (REUTERS) AUDIENCE AT ADDRESS
- Embargoed: 4th December 2016 22:43
- Keywords: Juan Manuel Santos FARC APEC Lima Cartagena Nobel
- Location: LIMA, PERU
- City: LIMA, PERU
- Country: Peru
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0035940Y13
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos visited Lima Saturday (November 19) to deliver a keynote address to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in which he championed Colombia's road to peace in spite of seeing a first peace deal recently rejected in a popular referendum.
Colombia's government this week published a revised peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in a bid to build support to end a 52-year war, after the original draft was rejected last month in a referendum amid objections it was too favorable to the rebels.
Santos said on Saturday he will allow the new peace accord with Marxist FARC rebels to be debated in Congress before it is approved and passed into law.
In speaking to the 21-member APEC, of which Colombia is not currently a member, Santos said the new deal is better than the last.
"And we reached last Saturday a new agreement, a new agreement with the FARC (rebels), a much broader deal, a farther reaching deal. I recognise it's a better deal than the one we signed on September 26 in Cartagena. At this time, what we are going to do is to look at how we implement it in the fastest way possible. The body for the normal implementation in any democracy of such an accord is through congress of the republic," Santos said.
Santos, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last month for his efforts to end the war, said he would first consult with the FARC leadership, but said he agreed with the revised agreement being discussed by lawmakers.
Former President Alvaro Uribe, who spearheaded opposition to the original accord, had asked that the new accord be discussed in Congress.
Santos did not say how the new deal would be approved, but it seems likely it will be ratified in Congress rather than via another plebiscite.
Speaking at APEC, he underscored the international backing for peace in Colombia.
"For the country, it's very important, yesterday I was in Washington in the OAS (Organization of American States) Senate. We we received support from everyone, all the members of the OAS to implement the deal as soon as possible. The support of Europe has also arrived in its totality. The Japanese Prime Minister, who I met with an hour ago, and he told me we have his total support. I am sure that China and Russia, who have come into the Security Council with a lot of support, will continue supporting. This front is making its stance clear for Colombia. That is very important for our country, but it's also important for our region," he said.
More than 220,000 people have been killed during the half-century conflict and millions displaced as the government battled FARC, right-wing paramilitary groups and other Marxist rebels.
The expanded and highly technical 310-page new document made 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. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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