Colombia finalizes peace deal with FARC rebels

Colombia’s president is moving quickly to hold a national referendum on a peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a rebel group that has carried on a half-century insurgency in the country. “The armed conflict with the FARC is ending,” President Juan Manuel Santos said on the steps of the congress building today while declaring a definitive end to military action. The FARC declared a unilateral cease-fire over a year ago, but Santos refused to grant a formal truce until talks wrapped up. The peace agreement was announced Wednesday after more than four years of negotiations in Cuba.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.