Colombia high court approves plans for peace plebiscite

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia's top court has approved the government's plans to hold a plebiscite on a peace deal with leftist rebels.

The ruling Monday by the Constitutional Court hands a victory to President Juan Manuel Santos, who has vowed to put to a popular vote any accord reached with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia to end a half-century of fighting.

That could be a political gamble, given Santos' sagging approval ratings and Colombians' mistrust of the rebels. But the court approved the government's move to lower the turnout threshold to 13 percent of the electorate for results to be valid, which the opposition criticized.

No date for a vote will be set until the government and FARC wrap up peace talks in Cuba.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Related topics