Colombia President Extends Truce in Hope of Reviving Peace Deal

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/14/world/americas/colombia-farc-rebels-cease-fire.html

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BOGOTÁ, Colombia — President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia on Thursday extended a cease-fire with the country’s largest rebel group through the end of the year as he seeks to revive a peace accord to end five decades of war after voters rejected the deal in a referendum.

The original cease-fire, which was put in place in August, was nullified when the peace agreement was rejected this month. He had already extended it to Oct. 31.

Mr. Santos and his team are considering proposals from representatives of those who opposed the accord — which was rejected by a margin of less than half a percentage point — as too lenient on the rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

He will take the proposals to the FARC’s leaders in Havana, who have said they are willing to discuss new ideas.

Mr. Santos said he decided to extend the cease-fire after meeting with student leaders who had organized two huge marches through Bogotá, the capital, to show support for a peace deal.

“One of the students reminded me, that in the army and in the guerrilla ranks, there are young people waiting to see what happens, hoping that they don’t need to fire another shot,” Mr. Santos said in a televised address.

“For that reason, and at the request of the students, I have taken the decision to extend the cease-fire until Dec. 31,” he said

The cease-fire can be extended further, but Mr. Santos said he hoped that a new deal would be approved before then. He was awarded the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for his efforts to end the war.

Led by former President Álvaro Uribe, the side opposed to the peace deal wants rebels who have committed war crimes to be confined for five to eight years — possibly on farms — and barred from elected office.

The opponents were outraged that the accord offered the rebels 10 congressional seats and nontraditional sentences like clearing land mines instead of serving prison terms in return for ending a conflict that has killed more than 220,000 people.

Although the FARC’s leaders have said they are willing to hear new ideas, Mr. Uribe’s proposals may be difficult to accept, given that they have repeatedly refused to consider jail time and want to form a political party.