International News

BOGOTA, Oct 13, (APP/AFP) – Everything was ready: once approved, Colombia’s peace deal would trigger a financial windfall, boost the economy and encourage investment. Then the “no” vote won. After Colombians went to the polls and shot down a potentially historic accord that would have ended 52 years of armed conflict between the government and FARC guerillas, the country was left in limbo. President Juan Manuel Santos had promised that the peace deal represented “the best investment” possible for the country, and the international community agreed. The World Bank announced in January that it had granted Colombia — Latin America’s fourth largest economy — $1.4 billion to finance its peace efforts. The European Union was on board too — about to send nearly 600 million euros ($661 million) to support implementation of the peace agreement. And the United States had set aside some $400 million towards a post-conflict Colombia.