The president of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, was awarded the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to create a peace deal with the country’s rebel group, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Even though the peace deal was rejected in a vote, Santos was awarded the prize in the hopes of a future agreement. FARC (the rebel group) and the Colombia have waged a 52-year civil war against each other, which has led to over 220,000 deaths (80% were civilian). Over 6 million Colombians have been displaced from their rural homes.
When Colombian citizens went to vote on October 2nd, on the peace accord to end the civil war between FARC, 50.2% were against it, while 49.7% were in favor of it! This vote has really divided the country, with incredibly narrow margins. Santos has decided to dedicate his Nobel Peace Prize to the citizens of Colombia, especially those who have been victims of the five-decade-long civil war. He called upon the opponents of the peace deal to join him.