INTERVIEW
11
E2C: Can you explain why the referendum resulted in the rejection of the peace agreement?
CRP: I identify four reasons. First, the peace agreement is a very complex and controversial document of more than 300 pages. Almost nobody took the time to read what it actually said. The government made an effort to translate the information in more pedagogical versions, but it wasn’ t enough. Second, the peace agreement was made public only one month before the referendum. It was a very short amount of time to fully understand the agreement. Third, Colombia is a polarized country. Therefore, people were all the time exposed to very different and even contradictory messages from the media and political leaders. Fourth, there was a huge campaign against the peace agreement which was led by the former president Alvaro Uribe. He is still very popular and whatever idea he promotes, has an important impact in Colombia.
His campaign, however, used unverified information to spread messages of fear. He and his group promoted misunderstood ideas about the content of the peace agreement.
E2C: So would you say that the short period of time to acquire knowledge, the high importance of the decision and the lack of clarity regarding the potential consequences made it possible to highjack the campaign?
CRP: Absolutely, it is very similar to the campaign and process that took place in Great Britain. An opposition leader who just invents things, but nobody had time to go to prove these so-called facts. Uribe said that this peace agreement would promote impunity to the members of the FARC and as the agreement allows members of the FARC to form a political party, they would be our political leaders in the future turning the current democratic system in Colombia into a communist regime.
Do you support the final agreement to end the conflict and build a stable and lasting peace?
No 50.2 %
voter turnout 38 %
Yes 49.8 %
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Exchange to change January 2017