Voters decide on Farc peace deal

Colombians went to the polls yesterday to decide whether to accept a peace deal agreed by the government and Farc rebels. The historic agreement would see the group handing over weapons, ending its involvement in the drugs trade and changing into a political movement. Polls suggest voters are set to back the deal, despite criticism […]

Colombians went to the polls yesterday to decide whether to accept a peace deal agreed by the government and Farc rebels.
The historic agreement would see the group handing over weapons, ending its involvement in the drugs trade and changing into a political movement.
Polls suggest voters are set to back the deal, despite criticism that the concessions to the rebels go too far.
The 52-year conflict killed 260,000 people and left more than six million people internally displaced.
The accord, reached after four years of formal negotiations, was signed on Monday by president Juan Manuel Santos and the rebel leader Timoleon Jimenez, known as Timochenko, who apologised to “all the victims of the conflict”.
The rebels will take part in legislative elections in 2018 and will be guaranteed a minimum of 10 seats in Congress for their first two legislative periods.