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| Colombia referendum: Voters reject Farc peace deal | Colombia referendum: Voters reject Farc peace deal |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Voters in Colombia have rejected a landmark peace deal with Farc rebels in a shock referendum result, with 50.24% voting against it. | |
| The deal was signed last week by President Juan Manuel Santos and Farc leader Timoleon Jimenez after nearly four years of negotiations. | The deal was signed last week by President Juan Manuel Santos and Farc leader Timoleon Jimenez after nearly four years of negotiations. |
| But it needed to be ratified by Colombians in order to come into force. | But it needed to be ratified by Colombians in order to come into force. |
| Farc rebels had agreed to lay down their weapons after 52 years of conflict to join the political process. | |
| President Santos has previously warned that there is no plan B for ending the war, which has killed 260,000 people. | President Santos has previously warned that there is no plan B for ending the war, which has killed 260,000 people. |
| With votes in from more than 99% of polling stations counted, 50.2% opposed the accord while 49.8% supported it - a difference of less than 63,000 votes out of 13 million ballots. | With votes in from more than 99% of polling stations counted, 50.2% opposed the accord while 49.8% supported it - a difference of less than 63,000 votes out of 13 million ballots. |
| The surprise result means the peace process is now shrouded by uncertainty. | The surprise result means the peace process is now shrouded by uncertainty. |
| It is a major setback to President Juan Manuel Santos, who since his election in 2010 had pledged to end a conflict blamed for displacing about eight million people. | |
| Less than a week ago, President Santos was celebrating with world leaders and Farc commanders the end of Latin America's last and longest-running armed conflict at a ceremony in the historic city of Cartagena. | Less than a week ago, President Santos was celebrating with world leaders and Farc commanders the end of Latin America's last and longest-running armed conflict at a ceremony in the historic city of Cartagena. |
| The rebels were making plans to lay down their weapons and become a political party within six months. | The rebels were making plans to lay down their weapons and become a political party within six months. |
| But the president is now facing one of the most difficult moments in Colombia's recent history, says the BBC's Americas Editor Leonardo Rocha. | But the president is now facing one of the most difficult moments in Colombia's recent history, says the BBC's Americas Editor Leonardo Rocha. |
| If he sticks to his word about there being no plan B, the bilateral ceasefire will be lifted and the war will resume, our correspondent says. | If he sticks to his word about there being no plan B, the bilateral ceasefire will be lifted and the war will resume, our correspondent says. |
| Opposition to the peace accord was led by influential former President Alvaro Uribe. He argued that the government was treating Farc too leniently. | Opposition to the peace accord was led by influential former President Alvaro Uribe. He argued that the government was treating Farc too leniently. |
| He said that if the 'no' vote prevailed, the government should go back to the negotiating table. | He said that if the 'no' vote prevailed, the government should go back to the negotiating table. |
| Correspondents say that the government had been accused of taking victory for granted. | |
| The Farc's 52-year fight | |
| 1964: Set up as armed wing of Communist Party | |
| 2002: At its height, it had an army of 20,000 fighters controlling up to a third of the country. Senator Ingrid Betancourt kidnapped and held for six years along with 14 other hostages | |
| 2008: The Farc suffers a series of defeats in its worst year | |
| 2012: Start of peace talks in Havana | |
| 2016: Definitive ceasefire | |
| Full timeline of Farc conflict | |
| The 297-page peace deal was a deeply divisive issue in Colombia. | |
| Many in the country unambiguously detest the Farc, which the US still considers a terrorist group. | |
| Many of those opposed to the deal were aggrieved that it would have spared the rebels time in prison when they were responsible for so many deaths and displacements. | |
| The government tried to offset these concerns throughout the referendum campaign by spending heavily on television adverts in addition to staging concerts and peace rallies throughout the country in a bid to get people out to vote. | |
| It called on the support of U2's Bono and former Beatle Ringo Starr - and for the first time in an election made ballots available in Braille so blind Colombians could vote. |