Colombia's peace commission applauds Nobel Peace prize to Santos, vows to continue talks

Record ID: 83058

  • Title: Colombia's peace commission applauds Nobel Peace prize to Santos, vows to continue talks
  • Date: 7th October 2016
  • Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (OCTOBER 7, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT NEGOTIATOR HUMBERTO DE LA CALLE ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA (FARC) NEGOTIATOR IVAN MARQUEZ GREETS DE LA CALLE OFFICIALS AT NEGOTIATING TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LEAD GOVERNMENT NEGOTIATOR HUMBERTO DE LA CALLE, SAYING: "The award the Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize Commission is making to President Juan Manuel Santos is the world's voice of support for our country. It is the recognition they are making to his leadership, to his persistence, to the victims who participated in the process, representing more than seven million victims who have endured the continent's longest armed conflict. This gives us strength to continue forward. This award gives us strength." WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LEAD GOVERNMENT NEGOTIATOR HUMBERTO DE LA CALLE, SAYING: "To strengthen this ceasefire, we have agreed a protocol aimed at preventing any incidents in areas of pre-grouping in the defined quadrants and ensure a climate of security and tranquility, with the full implementation of all the rules governing the ceasefire and bilateral and definitive hostilities." MORE OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LEAD GOVERNMENT NEGOTIATOR HUMBERTO DE LA CALLE, SAYING: "Under the presidential powers within the constitution, it's appropriate that we continue listening with a rapid and effective response to the different sectors of society to understand their concerns and promptly define an exit along the paths indicated in the judgement of the constitutional court C376-2016." COLOMBIA'S SECURITY ADVISOR SERGIO JARAMILLO LISTENING DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA (FARC) LEAD NEGOTIATOR IVAN MARQUEZ, SAYING: "We'll continue to advance in the implementation of measures to build humanitarian confidence such as, the search for missing people, the pilot humanitarian demining plans, voluntary replacement of illicit crops, the commitments with regards to the exit of minors from the camps and with regards to the situation of people deprived of liberty." DE LA CALLE AND MARQUEZ SHAKING HANDS
  • Embargoed: 22nd October 2016 16:21
  • Keywords: Humberto de la Calle Ivan Marquez FARC Nobel Peace Prize ceasefire negotiations
  • Location: HAVANA, CUBA
  • City: HAVANA, CUBA
  • Country: Cuba
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
  • Reuters ID: LVA001530C11J
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Colombia's peace commission on Friday (October 7) applauded a decision to award President Juan Manuel Santos the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end a 52-year-old war with Marxist guerrillas, a surprise choice and a show of support days after voters rejected a peace deal he signed with the rebels.
    "The award the Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize Commission is making to President Juan Manuel Santos is the world's voice of support for our country. It is the recognition they are making to his leadership, to his persistence, to the victims who participated in the process, representing more than seven million victims who have endured the continent's longest armed conflict. This gives us strength to continue forward. This award gives us strength," lead government negotiator Humberto de la Calle said.
    Colombia's government and Marxist FARC rebels said on Friday they were willing to listen to proposals to alter their peace accord after a painstakingly negotiated deal was unexpectedly rejected in a plebiscite, leaving the country in limbo.
    In a joint statement from Havana, negotiators from the government and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) said that after four years of talks, they have the "necessary reforms and measures to achieve peace and guarantee an end to the conflict."
    "To strengthen this ceasefire, we have agreed a protocol aimed at preventing any incidents in areas of pre-grouping in the defined quadrants and ensure a climate of security and tranquility, with the full implementation of all the rules governing the ceasefire and bilateral and definitive hostilities," they said in statement read by de la Calle.
    The two sides, however, recognized the accord was rejected in an Oct. 2 plebiscite and were willing to listen to proposed adjustments.
    "Under the presidential powers within the constitution, it's appropriate that we continue listening with a rapid and effective response to the different sectors of society to understand their concerns and promptly define an exit along the paths indicated in the judgement of the constitutional court C376-2016," added de la Calle, without providing further details of the next steps.
    Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) lead negotiator Ivan Marquez, added.
    "We'll continue to advance in the implementation of measures to build humanitarian confidence such as, the search for missing people, the pilot humanitarian demining plans, voluntary replacement of illicit crops, the commitments with regards to the exit of minors from the camps and with regards to the situation of people deprived of liberty."
    The statement comes just hours after President Juan Manuel Santos was awarded the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end a 52-year-old war with the FARC.
    In Bogota, Santos and representatives have been listening to the views of those who voted against the deal, led by former President Alvaro Uribe. Those will be presented by government negotiators at some point to the FARC for discussion.
    While there appears to be willingness on all sides, the future of the deal seems to hang on whether the FARC will accept tougher conditions for demobilization, perhaps combined with a softening of Uribe's hard-line demands.
    Santos has maintained an optimistic tone since his defeat on Sunday.
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