After Historic Colombia Peace Agreement, Optimism and Concern
Following the historic peace dialogue between Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and the leader of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), 'Timoshenko', reactions range from strong criticism to guarded optimism.
José Miguel Vivanco, director of Human Rights Watch's Americas division, signaled that the agreement does not comply with the international standards of justice. "While the agreement on Special Jurisdiction for Peace offers a form of accountability for abuses committed during the armed conflict, the fact is it would allow those most responsible for human rights atrocities to avoid spending a single day in prison," he said, "It is difficult to imagine how this arrangement could possibly survive a serious review by Colombia's Constitutional Court, or for that matter, the International Criminal Court."
