{{President Juan Manuel Santos vowed to bring peace to Colombia after winning re-election on Sunday, telling Marxist rebels his victory shows that voters demand an end to five decades of war.}}<\/p>\n
Santos, a centre-rightist who has staked his reputation on securing a peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), won almost 51 percent support in the runoff election on Sunday. His right-wing rival Oscar Ivan Zuluaga trailed with 45 percent.<\/p>\n
The election divided Colombia between voters who support a deal to end Latin America’s longest-running insurgency and Zuluaga’s backers who want to force the rebels into a battlefield surrender.<\/p>\n
“This is the end of more than 50 years of violence and the start of a new Colombia,” Santos said after his election victory, holding up a hand daubed with the word “peace” and wearing a trademark pin of a white dove on his lapel. “A Colombia at peace with itself.”<\/p>\n
Santos opened talks with the FARC in late 2012. The conflict has killed over 200,000 people and forced millions more from their homes.<\/p>\n
Last week, Santos also revealed preliminary talks with a smaller rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), and he said on Sunday the Colombian people were now insisting on peace.<\/p>\n
“The demand is not just for the government. Today’s message is for the FARC and the ELN and it’s a clear message – this is the end,” the centre-right president said surrounded by family.<\/p>\n
He will start his second four-year term on Aug. 7.<\/p>\n
reuters<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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