Colombia’s constitutional court has approved a motion to hold a popular referendum on a peace agreement that the government hopes soon to sign with Marxist rebels.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have been locked in a civil war with the state for more than half a century, but in the past four years the rebels have engaged in talks with government negotiators. Last month, the two sides signed an historic ceasefire agreement in Havana, paving the way for a formal peace treaty.
Agence France-Presse reports that the court, after more than eight hours of deliberations, on Monday gave its approval for the agreement to be put to a plebiscite, after which the rebels would be expected to disarm and morph into a political party (although a small splinter faction has said it will keep fighting).
Read More: How the World’s Longest-Running Civil War Ended
“There is a green light for us, the Colombian people, to approve the peace deal with our votes,” President Juan Manuel Santos said.
[AFP]
- Global Climate Solutions Exist. It's Time to Deploy Them
- What Happens to Diane Feinstein's Senate Seat
- Who The Golden Bachelor Leaves Out
- Rooftop Solar Power Has a Dark Side
- How Sara Reardon Became the 'Vagina Whisperer'
- Is It Flu, COVID-19, or RSV? Navigating At-Home Tests
- Kerry Washington: The Story of My Abortion
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
