Yes. There is Peace in Colombia

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/breakthrough/

A breakthrough vote just happened in Colombia. A vote that is confusing to many. It needs to be re-negotiated and will go forward again to be ratified by the Colombian people. The vote was close, many people did not show up at the polls because of Hurricane Matthew which was hitting the coast of Colombia. We even had bad weather here at Villa Migelita! Everyone in Colombia wants peace, but if it comes without repercussions for those who lost loved ones in conflict, then there has to be compromise. There was no compromise in the deal presented to the Colombian people. The rebel group FARC would gain a lot, and the victims nothing. The FARC would gain position in Congress. The educated of Colombia knew this was a  wrong position for the country. I live here on a Visa, but I do not want a government with any Marxist or Communist influence!  I want democracy to be in place. I will have a residency soon and I am invested here as a land owner.

The Washington Post: “Under the terms of the agreement, FARC will be afforded nonvoting representatives in Congress through 2018, where they will be able to weigh in on matters related to the implementation of the accords. Then come the biggest toads: a minimum five seats for FARC in the 106-member Colombian Senate and five more in the 166-member lower chamber for two legislative terms through the creation of new voting districts. FARC, which has yet to reveal the name of its future political party and can’t form one until it fully disarms, will have to compete for seats on its own merits after that.”

It is a horrible thing to have a child or family member killed without repercussions.  Whether a mother like myself who lost a child by a drunk driver or an entire country who has lost over 220,000 people to death or mutilation by the rebel group FARC, I will share and post about injustice by violent crime. These people who voted YES were people who are directly affected by the crime and actions of the FARC. They don’t want anymore of their children recruited by force, they don’t want a child to lose a limb by a landmine, they want to live peacefully. A lot of these people never completed their education, nor understand repercussions of allowing a group that has been intimidating them into the government. The FARC is now a very small group, less than 7,000 members. They have been cornered and realized this was a great opportunity to become strong  again through a deal that excuses their past actions.

I moved to Colombia when it was becoming peaceful, when this beautiful country started to prosper. Many thought I was crazy. I knew I wasn’t. I had visited and looked at real estate. I had checked out the hospitals, the doctors, and the life I could have on my income. I was sold on trying this new life despite the horrible reputation that followed Colombia’s past. Colombia is number 2 in the world for healthcare, and is number 2 in the world for bio-diversity in nature. Colombia is a hidden treasure about to be unleashed to the world of tourism. Colombia is safe, and incredibly beautiful. There has been peace in Colombia for a long time now. The FARC is still here but only in certain places, and they no longer want to fight the government. They have continued to say, even after this vote, they are for peace.

I have been reading much about this deal. It will go forward. The FARC wants it to go forward. But; it needs to be fair. The FARC cannot be excused from all the years of mayhem. They need to lay down their weapons and they do NOT need to be given any place in the government. As a non-citizen without a lot of history in Colombia, I do believe it will happen. I want peace everywhere. I believe it is possible. I want peace in my home country of the United States which is filled with domestic terrorism. It is not just Colombia, it is the world that needs to re-look at all that is happening and we need to speak up. I do, and will continue in my blog.

For those wanting to visit Colombia, it is safe. It is beautiful. It is the best life I have lived in my lifetime. I pray for peace, but not for peace with a price that will come back to haunt this amazing country, and perhaps turn it into another Venezuela. I want a democratic future here, and those who voted NO understand this. The deal presented could leave the poor of Colombia with shortages of food and adequate healthcare. No one wants that. The FARC has come forward to say they want to continue the negotiations, and those who voted NO, want that too. No one wants war, the war is gone. Now it is time for compromise.