Page 12 - aruba-today-20161202

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 2 december 2016

Colombia’s congress ratifies peace accord with rebels

JOSHUA GOODMAN But the rebels insist that
Associated Press their troops won’t start de-
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — mobilizing until lawmakers
After five decades of war, pass an amnesty law free-
more than four years of ne- ing some 2,000 rebels in jail.
gotiations and two signing “D-Day starts after the first
ceremonies, Colombia’s actions are implemented,”
congress late Wednesday the rebel leader “Pastor
formally ratified a peace Alape,” a member of the
agreement allowing leftist FARC’s 10-member secre-
rebels to enter politics. tariat, told foreign journal-
The 310-page revised ac- ists last week after the new
cord was approved unani- accord was signed. “The
mously by the lower house, president unfortunately
which voted a day after has been demonstrating
the Senate approved the an attitude that creates
same text 75-0 following a confusion in the country.”
protest walkout by the op- The debate over amnesty
position led by former Presi- highlights one of the peace
dent Alvaro Uribe. deal’s early challenges:
The accord introduces the need for congress to
some 50 changes intend- pass legislation implement-
ed to assuage critics who ing the accord and setting
led a campaign that saw Former presidential candidate Oscar Ivan Zuluaga speaks during a debate at Congress in Bo- up special peace tribunals.
Colombians narrowly re- gota, Colombia, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. After five decades of war, more than four years of Santos was initially count-
ject the original accord in negotiations and two signing ceremonies, Colombia’s congress late Wednesday formally ratified ing on swift approval of the
a referendum last month. a peace agreement allowing leftist rebels to enter politics. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia) needed changes that in
President Juan Manuel some cases require consti-
Santos has said there won’t tutional amendments. But
be a second referendum. help compensate their vic- ment there’s complete im- six-month process in which the referendum loss has left
Revisions range from a pro- tims. But the FARC wouldn’t punity,” Uribe, now a sena- the FARC’s 8,000-plus guer- the status of his fast-track
hibition on foreign mag- go along with the opposi- tor, said during Tuesday’s rillas will concentrate in authority in doubt, await-
istrates judging alleged tion’s strongest demands heated debate. Other some 20 rural areas and ing a ruling by the consti-
crimes by government — jail sentences for rebel senators accused him of turn over their weapons to tutional court. Experts say
troops or by the Revolu- leaders behind atrocities standing in the way of a United Nations monitors. a solid pro-peace coalition
tionary Armed Forces of and stricter limits on their fu- peace deal that he pur- “Tomorrow a new era be- could crumble if imple-
Colombia to a commit- ture participation in politics. sued with the FARC as pres- gins,” Santos said Wednes- mentation drags on and
ment from the rebels to for- “There needs to be a bal- ident in 2002-10. day, celebrating the Sen- butts against the political
feit assets, some amassed ance between peace and Santos says ratification will ate’s endorsement before maneuvering for the 2018
through drug trafficking, to justice, but in this agree- set in motion the start of a the vote in the lower house. presidential election. q

Victim advocates: Pope told of priest arrested in Argentina

LUIS HENAO ola Corradi, this week. Cor- school for the deaf in Ve- rona - a ring of child mo- ing any contact with stu-
NICOLE WINFIELD radi, priest Horacio Corba- rona. “Words fail. It is ap- lesters in charge of utterly dents. The abuse allega-
Associated Press cho, 55, and three other palling and heartbreak- defenseless children who tions surfaced after a com-
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina men are accused of abus- ing that Corradi was not could neither hear nor plaint by provincial law-
(AP) — Advocates for cleri- ing at least eight children stopped by Pope Francis speak. If the allegations maker Daniela Garcia, who
cal sex abuse victims ex- at a school for youths with or by other Church authori- are true, the Pope must spoke to a witness through
pressed outrage Thursday hearing disabilities in north- ties. Corradi’s presence at accept responsibility for an interpreter. Authorities
that a priest accused of western Mendoza prov- the school in Mendoza was the unimaginable suffering are taking testimony from
sexually abusing deaf chil- ince. BishopAccountabil- no secret,” said Anne Bar- of these new victims.” The students as well as parents
dren in Italy wasn’t sanc- ity.org, an online resource rett Doyle, co-director of government of Mendoza who suspect their children
tioned by the Vatican and about clerical abuse, re- Bishop Accountability. province temporarily sus- were subjected by the ac-
allegedly went on to abuse ported that Italian survivor “Thanks to the Church’s pended classes at Antonio cused to oral sex, fondling
children in Pope Francis’ groups told the Vatican in inaction, Corradi appears Provolo Institute, the school and sexual intercourse over
native Argentina. 2008 and 2014 about Cor- to have been able to repli- for children with hearing the past decade, said Fa-
Argentine police arrested radi and others accused cate exactly the grotesque impairment. It also banned bricio Sidoti, the investigat-
the priest, 82-year old Nic- of molesting children at a situation he enjoyed in Ve- faculty and staff from hav- ing prosecutor.q