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Santos says referendum will be held on peace deal regardless of FARC

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos speaks about the current situation in Colombia at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC, on February 3, 2016

President Juan Manuel Santos on Monday said a referendum would be held on a possible peace deal with Marxist FARC fighters, whether the rebels want a vote or not. The FARC and the government have said they aim to sign a peace deal by March 23. "Whatever gets signed in Havana, I will submit to a referendum vote, whether the FARC likes it or not," Santos said in a Twitter post. The FARC's lead negotiator Ivan Marquez earlier in the day had said he was opposed to the idea. The talks, held in Havana, are believed to be nearing a long-sought deal to end Latin America's longest-running insurgency. Colombia's biggest rebel force, the now 7,000-strong FARC has been fighting the government in Bogota for five decades. Last week, the United States pledged $450 million to fund Colombia's peace process -- if a deal is indeed signed to end the war that has left more than 220,000 people dead and displaced six million others. Once a virtual failed state, Colombia is increasingly seen as a pivotal player in Latin America and one of the region's most dynamic and democratic countries.