Colombia referendum: Voters reject Farc peace deal

Voters in Colombia have rejected a landmark peace deal with Farc rebels in a shock referendum result, with 50.24% voting against it.

The deal was signed last week by President Juan Manuel Santos and Farc leader Timoleon Jimenez after nearly four years of negotiations.

But it needed to be ratified by Colombians in order to come into force.

Addressing the nation, President Santos accepted the result but said he would continue working to achieve peace.

He said the current ceasefire remained in place and that he had ordered negotiators to travel to Cuba to consult Farc leaders on the next move.

dat is ah sooprise of the first order : : :

[quote author=mapoui link=topic=106410.msg715181#msg715181 date=1475460273]
dat is ah sooprise of the first order : : :
[/quote] I am surprised that you are surprised. Your reaction should have been that the Americans would want a continued conflict in their destabilisation  of Latin America and somehow rigged the referendum with the Dibold voting machines 

Quote:I am surprised that you are surprised. Your reaction should have been that the Americans would want a continued conflict in their destabilisation  of Latin America and somehow rigged the referendum with the Dibold voting machines 

definitely. you have a point there but I have taken for granted that Colombia put a reasonably fair process in place... or tried to.

and no doubt there were international observers etc..Jimmy Carter's people in particular

if the american government had anything to do with it it chances are it was not a fair process

yep the americanos had  the ballots stolen

.... sooprised because it seems the people are seriously tired of the war.  man it has been going on forever.

I expected an overwhelming end of the war vote that no manipulation cud sunder.

but we will see.  stay tuned!

i fuhget to mention dat Cuba is involved centrally in the Colombian peace process..and a lot of other parties who are very keen on proper elections...verifiable elections.

I never saw america with a full hand in organizing that election.  to my mind all parties concerned wud have been keen to keep america out of that.

the only  interest in that process I saw as overtly even rabidly pro american is Alvaro Uribe the former Colombian president who is a rabid and particularly nasty right winger.  anything american in Colombia is possible through Uribe.

but I did not think he had so much remaining power as to be able to influence the election decisively

According to an article in Reuters today only one-third of eligible voters cast votes. Hopefully the government will demand more from FARC - such as clawing back all the property and money they stole over the last 40+ years to rejuvenate the small villages and towns they decimated - and have a new peace deal. No one wins in war.

Quote:http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/10/03/p...cts-peace/

Quote:Rio Hacha, Colombia.

The mood in this improvised Colombian town on the Caribbean coast is somber tonight.  The national peace plebiscite was just defeated by a mere 0.43% or 60,000 votes.

The  government of Colombia and the FARC insurgents signed peace accords six days ago to much public jubilation. Today the peace accords were put to a public vote. Polls predicted a landslide approval of 60%.

The public airwaves had been saturated with advertisements for “si” to approve the accords. Practically every wall to I passed here on the coast and earlier this week in the capital of Bogota was plastered with “si” posters.

The “no” side appeared absent except for a fringe represented by former president Uribe and his right-wing cohorts. The Catholic Church, the current Santos government, and the entirety of progressive civil society – unions, Indigenous, Afro-descendants, campesinos – were campaigning for “si.” The outcome seemed preordained.

Yet when the polls opened today, the usual long lines were absent. Turnout was low, allowing an upset victory for “no.”

now we have an idea of why there was a low turnout...Intimidation of the voting public.

we will see more soon I am sure!