The Colombian government's chief peace negotiator in peace talks with the Marxist FARC guerrillas, Humberto de la Calle, has offered his resignation after voters narrowly rejected a peace deal with the rebels.
Voters rejected the hard-negotiated deal as too lenient on the rebels in a shock result that plunged the nation into uncertainty.
"Any mistakes we made are my responsibility alone," Mr Calle told journalists at the presidential palace.
"As a result, I have come to tell the president [Juan Manuel Santos] that I am offering to stand down as head of the delegation, because I will not be an obstacle to what comes next."
Putting on a brave face after the major political defeat, President Santos offered hope to those who backed his four-year peace negotiation with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in Cuba.
Latin America's 52-year conflict has killed 220,000 people. The pact to end the civil war was negotiated in the Cuban capital Havana.
"I will not give up, I will keep seeking peace until the last minute of my term," the president said moments after losing yesterday's plebiscite to those who want a re-negotiation of the deal or an obliteration of the FARC on the battlefield.
More than 13 million people cast their ballots but the deal was rejected by just under 60,000 votes with 50.24% voting against the accord.
Mr Santos was to meet all political parties today and Mr Calle in Havana to speak to the FARC leadership.
He said the result "fills us with more enthusiasm, makes us much more committed, because there are various ways to read it and we must analyse them to see what needs to be fixed."
Mr Santos, who was not obliged by law to hold a plebiscite, had said there was no Plan B for the failure of the peace vote, but now appears ready to consider options.
[rte.ie]
3/10/16
-
Related:
Voters rejected the hard-negotiated deal as too lenient on the rebels in a shock result that plunged the nation into uncertainty.
"Any mistakes we made are my responsibility alone," Mr Calle told journalists at the presidential palace.
"As a result, I have come to tell the president [Juan Manuel Santos] that I am offering to stand down as head of the delegation, because I will not be an obstacle to what comes next."
Putting on a brave face after the major political defeat, President Santos offered hope to those who backed his four-year peace negotiation with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in Cuba.
Latin America's 52-year conflict has killed 220,000 people. The pact to end the civil war was negotiated in the Cuban capital Havana.
"I will not give up, I will keep seeking peace until the last minute of my term," the president said moments after losing yesterday's plebiscite to those who want a re-negotiation of the deal or an obliteration of the FARC on the battlefield.
More than 13 million people cast their ballots but the deal was rejected by just under 60,000 votes with 50.24% voting against the accord.
Mr Santos was to meet all political parties today and Mr Calle in Havana to speak to the FARC leadership.
- Rodrigo Londono, the top FARC commander better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko, also offered reassurance that the rebels remain committed to becoming a peaceful political party.
He said the result "fills us with more enthusiasm, makes us much more committed, because there are various ways to read it and we must analyse them to see what needs to be fixed."
Mr Santos, who was not obliged by law to hold a plebiscite, had said there was no Plan B for the failure of the peace vote, but now appears ready to consider options.
[rte.ie]
3/10/16
-
Related:
GR
FR
DE
ES
IT
RU
EU
No comments:
Post a Comment
Only News