Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Colombian President
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Efforts by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos to end five decades of war in his country were recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.
The award came despite voters' shock rejection of the terms of a historic deal he reached last month with FARC chief Rodrigo Londono, alias Timoleon "Timochenko" Jimenez, after nearly four years of talks.
"The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2016 to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos for his resolute efforts to bring the country's more than 50-year-long civil war to an end," said committee chairwoman Kaci Kullmann Five.
"There is a real danger that the peace process will come to a halt and that civil war will flare up again. This makes it even more important that the parties, headed by President Santos and FARC guerrilla leader Rodrigo Londono, continue to respect the ceasefire," she said.
Santos won in a competitive year, with a record 376 candidates vying for the award, Al Jazeera reported.
Of the candidates, 228 were individuals and 148 were organizations. The previous record was set in 2014, with 278 nominations.
The prize was first awarded in 1901.