Thousands of Colombians march to demand Farc peace deal revivalOctober 13, 2016 - 16:47 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Thousands of Colombians have taken part in marches to demand that a peace deal signed by the government and Farc rebels be upheld, according to BBC News. In the capital, Bogota, families of victims were given white flowers by well-wishers to symbolise peace. The agreement, reached after years of negotiation, was rejected by a slim majority in a national referendum earlier this month. Campaigners for the "No" vote have demanded a series of changes. Farc leader Timoleon Rodriguez, better known as Timochenko, said on Wednesday, October 12 he was confident the deal could be revived although he said he would be reluctant to re-negotiate some elements of the accord. In a show of support for the agreement, thousands of students, farmers and indigenous leaders congregated in front of congress in Bogota. "All Colombians must work on building peace," said Carmenza Pinto, 64, who was displaced by the war. "We must strive for a better future and forgiveness is the best example we can give." Speaking earlier, Timochenko said he had held several meetings with government negotiators in the Cuban capital, Havana, to try to find a way around the impasse. He said he was confident the deal could be resuscitated. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |