Colombia, Farc sign revised peace deal

Nearly two months after the initial peace agreement was rejected in a referendum, Colombia's government and the Farc guerrilla group signed a revised accord on Thursday that will be sent to congress and will not be put to a public vote.

The agreement faces stark opposition in congress from the Centro Democrático party headed by former president Alvaro Uribe, which will appeal "to the people in the streets," senator María del Rosario Guerra, was quoted as saying.

President Juan Manule Santos and Farc leader Rodrigo Londoño, aka Timochenko, signed the 310-page agreement in Bogotá's Colón theater amid shouts of "Yes we could!"

The new deal includes over 50 changes to placate critics led by Uribe. The main complaint against the original plan was that it did not go far enough in punishing Farc rebels for crimes committed during the decades-long conflict that left over 220,000 people dead and over 300,000 displaced.

The revised agreement leaves former rebels more exposed to prosecution and requires that the group disclose illegal activities such as kidnappings and drug trafficking, but still guarantees Farc 10 representatives in the 268-member congress, a benefit that did not sit well with a huge swatch of the population.

On October 2, with 13 million votes cast, the 'No' vote rejecting the original agreement prevailed by 54,000 ballots.