[World Council of Churches] “The people of Colombia need and deserve peace, particularly now,” said the Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, commenting on the outcome of the referendum held in Colombia on 2 October.

Voters in Colombia rejected a landmark peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in a surprising referendum result, with 50.2 percent voting against it.

“Not under any circumstance should we say no to peace,” said Tveit, from the headquarters of the WCC in Geneva, Switzerland. “The possibilities for a better, peaceful future for Colombia are greater and more important than any reason that could justify the negative to the agreement signed by the government and the FARC.”

Last June, the WCC Central Committee, meeting in Trondheim, welcomed historic steps taken by both sides as a major landmark on the path to peace in Colombia and the region.

WCC Central Committee: Statement on Colombian Bilateral Ceasefire Agreement (25 June 2016)