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Colombia's president-elect threatens peace accord with attack on Farc

Ivan Duque wants Farc leaders barred from congressional committees that discuss military matters

COLOMBIAN President-elect Ivan Duque’s party has moved to block former armed guerillas from some activities in Congress, threatening a fragile peace accord.

The right-wing Democratic Centre announced that it would push for constitutional reforms to stop leaders of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) from taking part in committees that discuss military affairs.

The Senate also approved a Bill that would stop proceedings against members of the security services, which had been accused of crimes during the decades-long conflict with the Farc.

Francisco Toloza, spokeman for successor organisation the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force (also Farc), hit back, saying it was “a political party with the same rights as other parties.”

Mr Duque is an opponent of the 2016 peace deal under which Farc received 10 congressional seats as it agreed to lay down it weapons, seeing it as rewarding “terrorists.”

Colombian Interior Minister Guillermo Rivera said the government would challenge the Bill.

“To tell a legislator that he or she cannot participate in a commission is to violate the principle of equality. There are no first and second-rate legislators,” he said.

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