Today , Friday , October 7 , Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos was named 2016 ’s Nobel Peace Price receiver . The committeebestowed the honoron Santos “ for his unhesitating cause to bring the country ’s more than 50 - year - long polite war to an end . ”

As reported byThe New York Times , the annunciation comes less than a week after Colombians voted to reject a peace good deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia ( FARC ) . The accord was meant to signal the end of a fucking , 52 - year dispute between the state and the rebel mathematical group . After President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC leader Timoleon Jimenez came together to contract the deal followingfour years of dialogue , all that was needed to move the architectural plan forwards was a balloting from the Colombian hoi polloi . In a scandalous exploitation , the agreement was stricken down by a slim absolute majority of 50.2 pct .

The future of the South American nation remains uncertain , but the Nobel Prize committee punctuate that the news should n’t be go steady as the defeat of ataraxis . While that specific agreement has been throw out , President Santos — who was elected in 2010 — hasn’t yield up his destination of progressing towards peace .

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Juan Manuel Santos via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 3.0 br

The committee said in apress statement , “ The Norse Nobel Committee emphasizes the importance of the fact that President Santos is now ask in all parties to enter in a broad - found national dialogue aimed at advancing the serenity operation . ” In addition to recognize President Santos ’s commitment to peace , the award is have in mind to make up testimonial to all company fight back for heartsease in Colombia , to the citizen who ’ve yet to give up hope of achieving it , and " not least , to the representatives of the countless victims of the civil warfare . ”

[ h / tThe New York Times]Know of something you imagine we should hide ? Email us attips@mentalfloss.com .