Alejandro Latorre Castellanos Diary Entry – Peace Deal

October 2, 2016

Dear Diary,

I´m very optimistic that there will finally be peace in Colombia!

To start off, Colombia is a nation that has been suffering from conflict around 52
years ago. It is a conflict that started because of different ideologies and political
parties. The people that live outside the cities in villages and small towns are
vulnerable to be affected directly by the conflict. It is regrettable to see how children
are born within this conflict, with no other option than to get a gun and be recruited
by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. In my opinion, this is one of the
strongest reasons for me to vote in favor of the peace process. The opportunity to
change the history of this country has come; it is time to forgive these people and
start a new page, were every Colombia can live in peace. My position is supporting
the “Yes” as it is the first time people are able to decide if they want to live in peace. I
actually think that if this process is being supervised by International Organizations
like (ONU), it is difficult for the negotiations to be a farce. In addition, the fact that
the government and the FARC are negotiating´, it means that agreements must
benefit both sides. I understand that these terrorists should not be awarded with
salaries, and only paying a few years at jail depending on the crimes they´ve made.
Nevertheless, from my point of view, it is the closest opportunity that we as
Colombians have, to live in the country we always dreamed.