Colombia, 10 Years After Saying ‘No’ to Peace
This October 2 marks ten years since the plebiscite in which Colombians were called upon to vote on the peace agreement reached between the government of Juan Manuel Santos and the FARC after four years of negotiations in Havana. The No received 50.21% of the vote, compared with 49.78% for the Yes, a difference of […]
Ten years ago, Colombians went to the polls to vote on the peace agreement between the government and the FARC guerrilla group. The referendum, held on October 2, had Colombians choosing between "No" and "Yes" options. The "No" side garnered 50.21% of the vote, while the "Yes" side received 49.78%. The difference in votes was just 53,894 votes.
This outcome forced the government to renegotiate the peace agreement and incorporate proposals from those who had campaigned for a "No" vote. The new agreement was signed on November 24, 2016, and ratified by Congress without a new popular vote. The low turnout of 37.44% of eligible voters, due to heavy rains caused by Hurricane Matthew, resulted in a very close vote.
The campaign was intense and polarized, with the "Yes" side led by President Juan Manuel Santos and the "No" side driven by the former President Alvaro Uribe and opposition figures. The areas that voted "No" now have a right-wing majority in the government, while the areas that voted "Yes" now have a left-wing majority. Despite concerns about "gender ideology" and other issues, the agreement remains in place.
Written by urgent.news from Colombia One's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
