Colombia, FARC Make Breakthrough Deal

The Colombian government and the FARC rebels on Sunday reached a deal on land reform, the first of six points that could lead to a peace deal. The deal will create a “land fund” of illegally seized land or underused acres that will be put aside to be redistributed to landless peasants. Before the announcement, a FARC negotiator said both sides had worked for two days without sleep—an indicator of how badly everyone wants to end the 50-year- long conflict. FARC has been weakened by the ongoing struggle and is being propped up by drug trafficking and extortion, while the government hopes that ending the conflict will open the country up to international investment.