Colombia: Congress Approves FARC Peace Deal

Illustration - Photo: colombia-politics.com

BOGOTÁ, Colombia - Following two marathon sessions in the Senate and the Chamber of Representatives, the Colombian Congress has ratified the revised peace agreement between the government of Juan Manuel Santos and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) after the initial attempt was rejected through a public plebiscite by a razor-thin margin.

Earlier this week, President Santos shook hands yet again with Rodrigo Londoño Echeverri 'Timochenko,' the leader of the FARC, at the Teatro Colón in the capital Bogotá as the two men signed the agreement.

The official act in the grandiose theater evoked feelings of déjà vu for both men and any observers alike as the same act took place in late September in the coastal city of Cartagena, albeit with much more pomp and ceremony.

Shortly following the first signing, however,...