Bogota: COLOMBIA’S government and FARC rebels signed a controversial revised peace accord to end their half-century conflict, set to be ratified in Congress despite bitter opposition.
President Juan Manuel Santos and guerrilla leader Rodrigo “Timochenko” Londono signed the new deal with a pen made from a spent bullet, in a low-key ceremony in the capital Bogota.
The new plan bypasses a vote by the Colombian people, against bitter opposition from critics.
They say the revisions are only cosmetic and will still grant impunity for war crimes committed by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Santos, who won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the conflict, said the new deal was better than the original.
“It includes the hopes and observations of the vast majority of Colombians,” he said after signing it.
“We all know in our souls that the cost of the armed conflict is too high.”
The deal was immediately sent to Congress, where it is expected to pass after being debated next week. Santos and his allies hold a majority in the legislature.
