Colombian rebels announce final conference of peace talks

The 297-page peace accord reached this week in Cuba seeks to bring an end to Latin America’s oldest guerrilla war, which has caused more than 220,000 deaths and driven 5 million people from their homes over five decades. As part of the deal, FARC members must turn over their weapons within six months after the deal is formally signed and instead seek to persuade skeptical Colombians that it’s ready to play by the rules of democracy.

In exchange, the FARC’s still unnamed future political movement will be granted a minimum 10 congressional seats — five in the lower house, five in the Senate — for two legislative periods. In addition, 16 lower house seats will be created for grassroots activists in rural areas traditionally neglected by the state and in which existing political parties will be banned from running candidates, a move critics of the peace process say will further boost the rebels’ post-conflict political power.

After 2026, both arrangements will end and the former rebels will have to demonstrate their political strength at the ballot box.

The FARC last held a major summit in 2007, in the midst of a U.S.-backed military campaign that decimated its ranks and led to the killing of several top commanders.

Colombians will also be given a chance to ratify the accord in a national referendum Oct. 2. Polls say most Colombians loathe the rebel group but will likely endorse the deal anyway.

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Joshua Goodman is on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjoshgoodman His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/journalist/joshua-goodman

Joshua Goodman, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Colombian rebels announce final conference of peace talks

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