International News

BOGOTA, (APP/AFP): President Juan Manuel Santos on Monday
said a referendum would be held on a possible peace deal with Marxist FARC fighters, whether the rebels want a vote or not.
The FARC and the government have said they aim to sign a peace deal by March 23.
“Whatever gets signed in Havana, I will submit to a referendum vote,
whether the FARC likes it or not,” Santos said in a Twitter post.
The FARC’s lead negotiator Ivan Marquez earlier in the day had said he was opposed to the idea.
The talks, held in Havana, are believed to be nearing a long-sought deal to end Latin America’s longest-running insurgency.
Colombia’s biggest rebel force, the now 7,000-strong FARC has been fighting the government in Bogota for five decades.
Last week, the United States pledged $450 million to fund Colombia’s peace process — if a deal is indeed signed to end the war that has left more than 220,000 people dead and displaced six million others.
Once a virtual failed state, Colombia is increasingly seen as a pivotal player in Latin America and one of the region’s most dynamic and democratic countries.