Colombia's Santos Dedicates Nobel Prize To Conflict Victims

BOGOTA, , (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 07th Oct, 2016 ) - President Juan Manuel Santos dedicated his Nobel Peace Prize Friday to the victims of Colombia's civil war, urging the country not to give up on a bitterly contested peace process.

"I am infinitely and whole-heartedly grateful for this honor," he said in a televised address. "I receive it not in my own name, but in the name of all Colombians, especially the millions of victims of this conflict that we have suffered for more than 50 years." Colombia's half-century conflict has killed more than 260,000 people, left 45,000 missing and forced nearly seven million to flee their homes.

Speaking just five days after voters narrowly rejected his peace deal with the FARC rebels in a referendum, Santos urged Colombians not to give up on peace.

"We must reconcile with each other and unite to complete this process, and begin building a stable and lasting peace," he said from the presidential palace.

His top rival, Alvaro Uribe -- a former president who has led the campaign against the peace deal signed on September 26 -- congratulated Santos on the award. But he added that he hoped the prize would encourage "changes" to the deal.

A right-wing hardliner who was Santos's former boss, Uribe has argued the deal is too soft on the guerrillas. He claims it offers impunity for their crimes and would put Colombia on the path of "Castro-Chavismo" -- a reference to the far-left governments of Cuba and Venezuela.