Colombia’s ‘victory’ at ‘Bali-like’ ‘peace’ in peace deal

Bali, Indonesia – The world’s third largest economy, Colombia has won a major victory in a peace deal that it hopes will pave the way for economic recovery.

The ruling Popular Democratic Party (PDP) won a victory in an election for the National Assembly in the capital, Bogota, on Saturday, bringing a new wave of peace talks that will see a new government sworn in.

Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos, whose leftist Workers Party won an overwhelming victory in the November elections, hailed the outcome as a historic milestone in a process that began in 2009.

The peace process in Colombia was initially derailed when leftist guerrillas and paramilitaries seized government buildings and killed thousands of people.

The country is in the midst of a political crisis as the former ruling Workers Party, now led by Santos, is struggling to hold onto power and the government is accused of cracking down on dissidents.

The Colombian government is keen to restart talks, but has faced criticism from rights groups for not doing enough to help the country recover from the worst economic crisis since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Colonialist rivalries and tensions between the Colombian government and its largest trading partner, the United States, have fuelled unrest that has left more than 100 people dead and displaced tens of millions.