Tuesday, October 4, 2016 Why the peace accord went off the railsBy Elizabeth DickersonForeign PolicyDespite the fanfare, voters were not convinced by the government’s rhetoric — nor its negotiating skillsHalf of Colombia went to sleep still in shock Sunday night, after voters narrowly rejected a peace agreement many considered a done deal. Four years of negotiations in Havana, Cuba, had yielded a 300-page accord between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a Marxist rebel group. The government never properly communicated what the peace deal would mean in practice, preferring to rely on platitudes like “the end of war” and “lasting and durable peace.” Authorities were dismissive of concerns about the deal’s sections on justice and political reform, choosing to let international applause overshadow protests at home. Talks in Havana worked in part because everyone was mum; there were remarkably few leaks throughout the negotiations on the ceasefire and peace deal. President Santos admitted that the trade-off of justice and peace wasn’t ideal, but he insisted it was the best possible compromise.

Source: Bueno Aires Herald October 04, 2016 03:00 UTC