Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 16 august 2017

UN removes last container holding Colombia rebel weapons

tionary Armed Forces of ies claimed at least 250,000
Colombia, or FARC, looked lives and left another 60,000
on. Former FARC rebels people missing.
finished turning over their Millions more were dis-
individual weapons in late placed from their homes
June, and since then the fleeing the bloodshed.
guns have been locked up The handing over of reb-
and guarded by U.N. ob- el arms is a fundamental
servers. On Tuesday the component of the peace
last remaining container accord, which also aims to
was taken from a transition reduce Colombia’s boom-
zone in northern Colombia. ing coca production by en-
In addition to some 8,112 couraging farmers to grow
guns, Arnault said the Unit- food crops instead and ex-
ed Nations collected 1.3 pand the state’s presence
million bullets, 22 tons of in remote areas where ba-
explosives, 3,000 grenades sic utilities like running wa-
and 1,000 land mines from ter and electricity can be
the rebels. “Building peace scarce.
is like building a cathedral, The rebel leader known by
and today we are laying the nom de guerre Ivan
the foundation,” said San- Marquez took advantage
tos, winner of last year’s No- of the media attention
Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos, second from left, shakes hands with Ivan Marquez, bel Peace Prize for his efforts on Tuesday’s ceremony
leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, at a demobilization site in Fonseca, to win an end to hostilities. to preview what he said is
Colombia, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017. Santos attended the ceremony to lock the final container
holding weapons once carried by guerrillas before it was removed from the transition zone in The FARC was formed in likely to be the name of the
northern Colombia where they were guarded by U.N. observers. Far left is Jean Arnault, head of the early 1960s by guerrillas former rebels’ new political
the UN Mission in Colombia. affiliated with Colombia’s movement: the Revolution-
(AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) communist party intent on ary Alternative Force of
By CHRISTINE ARMARIO the South American na- ca’s longest-running armed resolving longstanding is- Colombia, preserving the
Associated Press tion under a historic peace conflict. “This puts the coun- sues such as land disputes Spanish acronym FARC.
FONSECA, Colombia (AP) deal. Rebels agreed to try on the path to a new fu- and government neglect “We will be part of the sys-
— U.N. observers on Tues- disarm as part of the pact ture,” Jean Arnault, head of rural areas, issues that still tem but raise our voice
day removed the last of reached with the govern- of the United Nations’ mis- resonate in much of the na- clearly and sharply against
more than 8,000 guns once ment last year, and some sion in Colombia, said at a tion today. the system,” Marquez said.
carried by the guerrillas of of the weapons will be ceremony where President Over the next five decades, U.N. observers first be-
Colombia’s largest rebel smelted and transformed Juan Manuel Santos put a the conflict between the gan removing the locked
army and collected at 26 into statues commemorat- lock on the final container rebels, government forces weapons containers in late
demobilization sites around ing the end to Latin Ameri- as leaders of the Revolu- and right-wing paramilitar- July.q
Congress leader says Brazil gov’t lacks votes to pass reform

By LILIANA MICHELENA “It would have been ideal Failure to pass them could port they will need for next his economic agenda.
Associated Press to approve the reform to- undermine crucial support year.” Temer could also face new
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The day,” Maia said, arguing for him and could leave The Chamber of Depu- accusations in the near fu-
head of Brazil’s lower house that it was the only straight- him vulnerable to a second ties recently voted against ture. Attorney General Ro-
of congress said Tuesday forward solution to the round of corruption charg- sending Temer to trial on a drigo Janot, who filed the
the government doesn’t country’s economic crisis. es. Mauricio Santoro, a po- bribery charge. However, bribery charge against the
have the votes to pass a so- The government would litical analyst at Rio de Ja- the mounting pressure on president, said last week
cial security overhaul that is need 308 votes to pass the neiro State University, said the president weakened that plea bargains being
key to President Michel Te- constitutional amendment the pension overhaul is less his governing coalition in negotiated could lead to
mer’s economic agenda in the 513-member lower appealing to congressmen the lead-up to that vote new charges against Te-
— and possibly his survival house. looking ahead to the 2018 and has put the brakes on mer. q
in office. Temer, whose approval rat- general elections.
The comments by Cham- ing was 5 percent in the lat- “Not only does it require
ber of Deputies Speaker est national poll, has been more adherents, but it is
Rodrigo Maia came after a counting on his proposals dependent on a different
meeting with Finance Min- for loosening work rules political calculus,” San-
ister Henrique Meirelles as and changing pensions to toro said. “It involves the
well as the leaders of the revive the economy and long-term planning of their
parties in congress. help save his presidency. constituents, and the sup-