For many weeks, the world has been buzzing over the recent peace negotiations with Columbia and the Farc rebel group. While a lot of people were very excited about the news, one demographic was not pleased. BBC News is reporting that many Colombian voters are unhappy with the peace deal. The news has many people inside and outside of the country tuning in to what this group has to say.
Last week, BBC News reported that President Juan Manuel Santos and the leader of the Farc rebels, Timoleon Jimenez, had finally negotiated and signed a deal that put an end to the fighting in the nation. The conflict between the government and the rebel group had been going on for several decades, and negotiations of the peace agreements had taken about four years to complete. When the agreement was finally signed, a ceremony was held. The two leaders, along with several world powers were in attendance to celebrate the negotiations coming to a close.
Though the ceremony was viewed globally as a historic occasion, new reports are showing that the people of Columbia are not happy with the end results. BBC News is also reporting that about 50 percent of voters in the nation did not agree with the peace negotiations. The backlash comes from varying opinions on the Farc groups and how the government of Columbia is handling the situation in order to find an end to the war which has lasted over five decades.
BBC News is also reporting that global backlash is coming from the negotiations as well. The United States considers the Farc group a terrorist organization. Because of this, many feel the group was not given harsh enough punishments during the negotiations. Former president of Columbia has also released a statement on his feelings about the negotiations. While he claims that all citizens want peace, he also feels (along with much of the population) that the agreement needs to be revised.
People all across the world have been looking for an end to this conflict for half a century. As it finally comes to a close, one can only hope that peace is everyone’s final objective.
