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May 31st, 2017 
Awake Goy 
nsnbc : Only days before the end of his transitional peace mandate, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has begun signing a number of decrees to accelerate and bolster the peace process.
On Monday Santos, in a public address, affirmed his administration’s commitment to the peace process in the country, Santos also sent an unequivocal message to ex-president Alvaro Uribe, one of the most ardent opponents of the peace accord between the state and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (FARC-EP), stressing that the peace will not be undone, and that there is no turning back.
In a televised address to the nation Santos stressed “We will not go back. For no reason will we return to the terrible times of violence, fear, murder and massacres. Colombia is leaving behind that story of blood and pain forever. ”
Santos and the peace agreement have come under renewed fire from ex-president Alvaro Uribe and his Democratic Center party, latest because of the FARC-EP’s alleged foot-dragging with regard to its disarmament, while critics ignore that the demobilization and disarmament process only started after considerable delays caused by enormous logistic difficulties and in part the government’s delays in establishing demobilization camps and tolerable conditions in many of the camps.
Santos continued his address, saying “Having fulfilled these first six months since the signing of the Agreement, we can say without a doubt that peace is irreversible. Let us make peace for the benefit of our children. We are going to do as we agreed. We will multiply the fruits of peace that we already feel and we will take them to all corners of the country.”
Military and police have also had delays in their deployment to traditionally FARC controlled areas. These delays have put tens of thousands of people, and particularly grassroots and community leaders at risk as right-wing neo-paramilitaries have tried to fill the power vacuum. The murder of several community and grassroots activists, threats and violence also threatened to derail the peace process. Since the beginning of the peace process, 35 social and community leaders have been assassinated.
Santos’ mandate to bypass Congress ends on Wednesday. Santos’ televised speech comes as he is seeking justification for using his temporary authority and peace mandate to push through elements of the peace agreement to curb violence against social and community leaders, as well as police officers, and most recently, school teachers in rural communities while teachers are on a nationwide strike.
The first presidential decrees that were announced by the United Nations, the government and the FARC set in motion a joint police-prosecution initiative to effectively dismantle paramilitary groups former president and opposition leader Alvaro Uribe claimed to have dismantled between 2003 and 2006. Additionally, the deadline for the FARC’s disarmament was extended for three weeks.
Commenting on legal as well as illegal opposition against the peace process, Santos said “Three years ago you gave me a clear and direct mandate in the elections: Seek and achieve peace. Today I want to renew my commitment to you, with that mandate, with peace, until the last day of my government … and my life. I invite you all to respond to the call to peace and reconciliation. We are one people, one nation, an immense and beautiful country. Let’s honor it!”
CH/L & A/N – nsnbc 31.05.2017
Source Article from https://nsnbc.me/2017/05/31/santos-committed-to-colombias-peace-process-if-necessary-by-decree/
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