Chile beat Colombia 2-0 in the Copa America semi-final on Wednesday and will face Argentina in Sunday&#39;s final after surviving a tumultuous match in Chicago that was halted for more than two hours due to a torrential rain storm. 
 
Chile were already two goals up at half time, but the second half was delayed as an electrical storm powered towards Soldier Field and drenched the stadium with rain. 
 
The teams came back to a waterlogged pitch and Colombia, who had a man sent off early in the second period, could not reduce the deficit. 
 
&quot;We played well but Chile are a very strong side,&quot; Colombian midfielder Juan Cuadrado said after the final whistle. 
 
&quot;We thought a comeback was possible but sometimes things don&#39;t work out like you want.&quot; 
 
The result takes Chile into a mouth-watering final against Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday. The game will be a repeat of last year&#39;s final in Santiago that the host nation won on penalties. 
 
The reigning champions came into the game on a high after beating Mexico 7-0 and took only six minutes to make their mark again. 
 
Former Chelsea midfielder Cuadrado misdirected a header across his own goal straight to Charles Aranguiz and the Leverkusen midfielder had the straightforward task of sidefooting past David Ospina. 
 
Chile doubled their lead four minutes later after an Alexis Sanchez shot rebounded off the post into the path of Jose Pedro Fuenzalida. 
 
With Ospina beaten, the Universidad Catolica full back scored one of the easiest goals of his career by sidefooting into the empty net. 
 
Chile, who were already missing midfielders Arturo Vidal and Marcelo Diaz, lost Pedro Pablo Hernandez after half an hour when he limped off injured and the resulting reshuffle took the wind out of their sails. 
 
Colombia came back into the game, with James Rodriguez coming close with two shots and creating chances for Roger Martinez and Edwin Carmona. 
 
However, Claudio Bravo was in fine form and it stayed 2-0 at the break. 
 
Colombia pushed on after the restart with a lively Rodriguez leading the attack but were dealt a huge blow in the 56th minute when influential midfielder Carlos Sanchez was sent off for a second yellow card offence. 
 
Colombia did not give up and came close on several occasions but conditions underfoot were difficult for both sides and the score remained 2-0. 
 
The Andean side will now play hosts United States in the third-fourth place playoff on Saturday. 
 
Argentina beat the United States 4-0 on Tuesday night to reach their second consecutive Copa America final. 
 
(Reuters)

Chile were already two goals up at half time, but the second half was delayed as an electrical storm powered towards Soldier Field

Chile beat Colombia 2-0 in the Copa America semi-final on Wednesday and will face Argentina in Sunday's final after surviving a tumultuous match in Chicago that was halted for more than two hours due to a torrential rain storm. Chile were already two goals up at half time, but the second half was delayed as an electrical storm powered towards Soldier Field and drenched the stadium with rain. The teams came back to a waterlogged pitch and Colombia, who had a man sent off early in the second period, could not reduce the deficit. "We played well but Chile are a very strong side," Colombian midfielder Juan Cuadrado said after the final whistle. "We thought a comeback was possible but sometimes things don't work out like you want." The result takes Chile into a mouth-watering final against Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday. The game will be a repeat of last year's final in Santiago that the host nation won on penalties. The reigning champions came into the game on a high after beating Mexico 7-0 and took only six minutes to make their mark again. Former Chelsea midfielder Cuadrado misdirected a header across his own goal straight to Charles Aranguiz and the Leverkusen midfielder had the straightforward task of sidefooting past David Ospina. Chile doubled their lead four minutes later after an Alexis Sanchez shot rebounded off the post into the path of Jose Pedro Fuenzalida. With Ospina beaten, the Universidad Catolica full back scored one of the easiest goals of his career by sidefooting into the empty net. Chile, who were already missing midfielders Arturo Vidal and Marcelo Diaz, lost Pedro Pablo Hernandez after half an hour when he limped off injured and the resulting reshuffle took the wind out of their sails. Colombia came back into the game, with James Rodriguez coming close with two shots and creating chances for Roger Martinez and Edwin Carmona. However, Claudio Bravo was in fine form and it stayed 2-0 at the break. Colombia pushed on after the restart with a lively Rodriguez leading the attack but were dealt a huge blow in the 56th minute when influential midfielder Carlos Sanchez was sent off for a second yellow card offence. Colombia did not give up and came close on several occasions but conditions underfoot were difficult for both sides and the score remained 2-0. The Andean side will now play hosts United States in the third-fourth place playoff on Saturday. Argentina beat the United States 4-0 on Tuesday night to reach their second consecutive Copa America final. (Reuters)

Copa America Centenario report: Chile beats Colombia 2-0 to set up final against Argentina

People in Colombia celebrate Lazy Day, which is considered as National Holiday in the country.

Embrace that laze! A True National Holiday

Colombia became the first side to book a spot in the Copa America Centenario quarter-finals after beating Paraguay in Pasadena yesterday. The United States kept their hopes of advancing alive by thrashing Costa Rica 4-0. 
 
Colombia&#39;s 2-1 win put them top of Group A on six points, with the United States on three and the other two teams on one point each. 
 
After losing their opener 2-0 to Colombia, the United States were in clinical form against the Costa Ricans in Chicago and scored three times in the first half through Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones and Bobby Wood. 
 
Substitute Graham Zusi added a fourth in the 86th minute to cap the win and improve the hosts&#39; goal difference. 
 
&quot;It was important for us to get off to an early start,&quot; said Dempsey. &quot;Once the second went in and the third we got into a bit of a rhythm.&quot; 
 
Dempsey got the first, his 50th international goal, from the penalty spot after Cristian Gamboa was adjudged to have pushed Wood in the box with six minutes gone. 
 
Dempsey was involved in the Americans&#39; second after 36 minutes when his run at the Costa Rica defence saw the ball fall to Jones, who struck a low shot from the edge of the box past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Patrick Pemberton. 
 
The third goal came five minutes later and once again it was Dempsey who set it up. Wood won the ball in midfield and played a one-two with Dempsey before turning to strike home a low drive from 15 yards out. 
 
Costa Rica, who reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2014, improved in the second half with captain Bryan Ruiz playing a more influential role, but they were ineffective in the last third of the field. 
 
Ruiz hit the post with a header midway through the second half but Costa Rica lost a fourth goal in the dying moments when Zusi stole the ball in midfield and strode forward before slotting the ball home from 15 yards. 
 
In the second Group A game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Colombia took a 2-0 lead in the first half but were pushed hard in the second. 
 
Carlos Bacca scored the opener in the 12th minute with a header before James Rodriguez doubled Colombia&#39;s lead with a left-foot strike on the half-hour mark. 
 
Paraguay gradually played their way back into the match and hit the woodwork before half-time before forcing David Ospina into a world-class save in the 62nd minute. Colombia&#39;s goalkeeper dived full stretch to turn a header around the post. 
 
Paraguay continued to dominate the second half and were rewarded when midfielder Victor Ayala scored with a stunning 30-yard rocket in the 71st minute. 
 
However, they could not force an equaliser and Colombia hung on to take all three points and claim a berth in the next round. Paraguay must now beat the United States on Saturday to have any chance of advancing to the quarters.

United States player Clint Dempsey scored his 50th international goal in this match apart from assisting two other goals

Colombia became the first side to book a spot in the Copa America Centenario quarter-finals after beating Paraguay in Pasadena yesterday. The United States kept their hopes of advancing alive by thrashing Costa Rica 4-0. Colombia's 2-1 win put them top of Group A on six points, with the United States on three and the other two teams on one point each. After losing their opener 2-0 to Colombia, the United States were in clinical form against the Costa Ricans in Chicago and scored three times in the first half through Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones and Bobby Wood. Substitute Graham Zusi added a fourth in the 86th minute to cap the win and improve the hosts' goal difference. "It was important for us to get off to an early start," said Dempsey. "Once the second went in and the third we got into a bit of a rhythm." Dempsey got the first, his 50th international goal, from the penalty spot after Cristian Gamboa was adjudged to have pushed Wood in the box with six minutes gone. Dempsey was involved in the Americans' second after 36 minutes when his run at the Costa Rica defence saw the ball fall to Jones, who struck a low shot from the edge of the box past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Patrick Pemberton. The third goal came five minutes later and once again it was Dempsey who set it up. Wood won the ball in midfield and played a one-two with Dempsey before turning to strike home a low drive from 15 yards out. Costa Rica, who reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2014, improved in the second half with captain Bryan Ruiz playing a more influential role, but they were ineffective in the last third of the field. Ruiz hit the post with a header midway through the second half but Costa Rica lost a fourth goal in the dying moments when Zusi stole the ball in midfield and strode forward before slotting the ball home from 15 yards. In the second Group A game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Colombia took a 2-0 lead in the first half but were pushed hard in the second. Carlos Bacca scored the opener in the 12th minute with a header before James Rodriguez doubled Colombia's lead with a left-foot strike on the half-hour mark. Paraguay gradually played their way back into the match and hit the woodwork before half-time before forcing David Ospina into a world-class save in the 62nd minute. Colombia's goalkeeper dived full stretch to turn a header around the post. Paraguay continued to dominate the second half and were rewarded when midfielder Victor Ayala scored with a stunning 30-yard rocket in the 71st minute. However, they could not force an equaliser and Colombia hung on to take all three points and claim a berth in the next round. Paraguay must now beat the United States on Saturday to have any chance of advancing to the quarters.

US hammer Costa Rica, Colombia advance at Copa America

Colombia has declared its Zika epidemic is over, but warned that the mosquito-borne virus, which is blamed for causing brain damage in babies, would continue circulating on a smaller scale. 
 
Colombia has been the second hardest-hit country by the disease after Brazil, with nearly 100,000 cases and at least 21 babies born with microcephaly, or abnormally small heads. 
 
But 10 months into the outbreak, the health ministry said the number of reported cases had dropped to between 600 and 700 a week. 
 
&quot;Colombia is the first country in the Americas to declare the end of the epidemic,&quot; deputy health minister Fernando Ruiz told a news conference yetsterday. 
 
The virus &quot;now enters an endemic phase, in which a very small number of cases will undoubtedly remain in the future,&quot; he said. &quot;It&#39;s a virus that&#39;s here to stay.&quot; 
 
Officials had initially predicted Colombia would register 450,000 to 600,000 cases of Zika before the epidemic was over. 
 
The number of babies affected could continue to rise, however. 
 
Doctors are still analysing the cases of 160 babies born with birth defects to mothers who were infected with Zika during pregnancy, to diagnose their condition and determine whether the virus was the cause. 
 
And new cases may be found in the coming months in babies conceived during the epidemic. 
 
The total number of microcephaly cases could reach 100 to 300, Ruiz predicted. 
 
Zika, which was discovered in Uganda in 1947, took the world by surprise when it emerged in the Americas last year with devastating effects. 
 
Since then, health authorities in the region have sounded the alarm over a surge in babies born with microcephaly and other deformities apparently linked to the flu-like virus. 
 
The virus is also suspected of causing nervous disorders, including Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which leads the immune system to attack the nerves and may lead to paralysis. 
 
Colombian officials have registered 350 cases of Guillain-Barre. 
 
Zika is mainly transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, but it has also been shown to spread through sexual contact.&nbsp;Brazil has been the country hardest hit by the virus, for which there is currently no vaccine or cure. 
 
Authorities there have confirmed more than 1,000 cases of microcephaly blamed on Zika. 
 
(AFP)

'It's a virus that's here to stay,' the health minister said, warning that the virus would continue circulating on a smaller scale

Colombia has declared its Zika epidemic is over, but warned that the mosquito-borne virus, which is blamed for causing brain damage in babies, would continue circulating on a smaller scale. Colombia has been the second hardest-hit country by the disease after Brazil, with nearly 100,000 cases and at least 21 babies born with microcephaly, or abnormally small heads. But 10 months into the outbreak, the health ministry said the number of reported cases had dropped to between 600 and 700 a week. "Colombia is the first country in the Americas to declare the end of the epidemic," deputy health minister Fernando Ruiz told a news conference yetsterday. The virus "now enters an endemic phase, in which a very small number of cases will undoubtedly remain in the future," he said. "It's a virus that's here to stay." Officials had initially predicted Colombia would register 450,000 to 600,000 cases of Zika before the epidemic was over. The number of babies affected could continue to rise, however. Doctors are still analysing the cases of 160 babies born with birth defects to mothers who were infected with Zika during pregnancy, to diagnose their condition and determine whether the virus was the cause. And new cases may be found in the coming months in babies conceived during the epidemic. The total number of microcephaly cases could reach 100 to 300, Ruiz predicted. Zika, which was discovered in Uganda in 1947, took the world by surprise when it emerged in the Americas last year with devastating effects. Since then, health authorities in the region have sounded the alarm over a surge in babies born with microcephaly and other deformities apparently linked to the flu-like virus. The virus is also suspected of causing nervous disorders, including Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which leads the immune system to attack the nerves and may lead to paralysis. Colombian officials have registered 350 cases of Guillain-Barre. Zika is mainly transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, but it has also been shown to spread through sexual contact. Brazil has been the country hardest hit by the virus, for which there is currently no vaccine or cure. Authorities there have confirmed more than 1,000 cases of microcephaly blamed on Zika. (AFP)

Colombia declares its Zika epidemic over

FARC rebels in Colombia have clashed with government forces in the centre of the country, defence minister Luis Carlos Villegas said on Sunday, as the two sides push to finalise a historic peace deal. 
 
&quot;This took place 48 hours ago in La Uribe. A FARC patrol unit came upon an army rapid response team patrol and engaged,&quot; Villegas said. 
 
&quot;There was a number of injured,&quot; Villegas said without further details about the injuries. The rebels were offered medical assistance, he said. 
 
And no troops or civilians were injured, an army statement added.&nbsp;The injured rebels were members of a delegation that was due to travel to the ongoing peace talks being held in Havana.&nbsp;The violence comes as a discouraging sign while the government and rebels are thought to be close to ending five decades of civil war. 
 
Carlos Lozada, who serves as a FARC negotiator in the peace process, charged on Twitter that &quot;what happened there was not a clash by patrols bumping into one another&quot;. 
 
&quot;This was an attack on FARC delegates who were on their way to Havana,&quot; Lozada said, insisting that the army refused to evacuate by air the rebels who were injured, undermining trust at the negotiating table. 
 
The FARC currently has about 7,000 members.&nbsp;It signed a ceasefire and disarmament arrangement with the government last month at peace talks in Cuba.&nbsp;The government said it hoped to move on to a full peace deal within weeks. 
 
The Colombian conflict started in the 1960s as a rural uprising for land rights that spawned the communist FARC.&nbsp;It has left 260,000 people dead, 45,000 missing and nearly seven million displaced, according to official figures. 
 
The rebels signed a unilateral ceasefire in 2015; the government responded by de-escalating the conflict. A bilateral ceasefire only takes effect after the peace deal is signed. 
 
(AFP)

The violence comes as a discouraging sign while the government and rebels are thought to be close to ending five decades of civil war

FARC rebels in Colombia have clashed with government forces in the centre of the country, defence minister Luis Carlos Villegas said on Sunday, as the two sides push to finalise a historic peace deal. "This took place 48 hours ago in La Uribe. A FARC patrol unit came upon an army rapid response team patrol and engaged," Villegas said. "There was a number of injured," Villegas said without further details about the injuries. The rebels were offered medical assistance, he said. And no troops or civilians were injured, an army statement added. The injured rebels were members of a delegation that was due to travel to the ongoing peace talks being held in Havana. The violence comes as a discouraging sign while the government and rebels are thought to be close to ending five decades of civil war. Carlos Lozada, who serves as a FARC negotiator in the peace process, charged on Twitter that "what happened there was not a clash by patrols bumping into one another". "This was an attack on FARC delegates who were on their way to Havana," Lozada said, insisting that the army refused to evacuate by air the rebels who were injured, undermining trust at the negotiating table. The FARC currently has about 7,000 members. It signed a ceasefire and disarmament arrangement with the government last month at peace talks in Cuba. The government said it hoped to move on to a full peace deal within weeks. The Colombian conflict started in the 1960s as a rural uprising for land rights that spawned the communist FARC. It has left 260,000 people dead, 45,000 missing and nearly seven million displaced, according to official figures. The rebels signed a unilateral ceasefire in 2015; the government responded by de-escalating the conflict. A bilateral ceasefire only takes effect after the peace deal is signed. (AFP)

FARC rebels injured in 'combat' with Colombian army

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos had strong words on Wednesday for a unit of&nbsp;Colombia&#39;s FARC rebel group that says it will not lay down arms or demobilise under a potential peace deal with the government.

The statement by the Armando Rios First Front, a 200-strong rebel unit in the Southeastern jungle province of Guaviare, comes nearly two weeks after leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of&nbsp;Colombia&nbsp;(FARC) and the government announced a ceasefire deal at their more than three-year-old peace talks. It is the first public sign of opposition to an accord from within the rebel ranks.

&quot;Someone told me recently that the First Front of the FARC has doubts - or some people from the First Front of the FARC have doubts about whether they welcome this peace process or not. Some were going to continue and were not going to welcome the peace process.&nbsp;Allow me to take advantage of being here, from El Retorno of Guaviare, to deliver a message to these people from the First Front who have doubts - have no doubt, welcome this process because it will be your last chance,&quot; Santos said during a speech in the southeastern department fo El Guaviare.

The unit, which famously held ex-presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three American contractors hostage, said the deals being reached at the talks will not solve the social and economic problems which first motivated rebels to take up arms more than five decades ago.

But Santos expressed little patience for rhetoric.

&quot;And all the power of our forces will come down on those who remain outside of this process. The thousands and thousands of soldiers that we have throughout the country, who are now caring for our pipelines - we will gather them to pursue those remaining outside, that is anyone who has some doubt better set it aside and embrace (the process)&nbsp;because it is the last chance that you will have to change your life, because any other way will end, I assure you, in a grave or in prison,&quot; he said.

Santos has said the peace talks, aimed at ending a conflict which has killed more than 220,000 and displaced millions, may conclude as early as this month. Any deal will be put to&nbsp;Colombians for approval in a plebiscite vote. 
 
(Reuters)

President warns: Accept the deal to end one of the longest-running conflicts in Latin America, or end up 'in a grave or in prison'

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos had strong words on Wednesday for a unit of Colombia's FARC rebel group that says it will not lay down arms or demobilise under a potential peace deal with the government. The statement by the Armando Rios First Front, a 200-strong rebel unit in the Southeastern jungle province of Guaviare, comes nearly two weeks after leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the government announced a ceasefire deal at their more than three-year-old peace talks. It is the first public sign of opposition to an accord from within the rebel ranks. "Someone told me recently that the First Front of the FARC has doubts - or some people from the First Front of the FARC have doubts about whether they welcome this peace process or not. Some were going to continue and were not going to welcome the peace process. Allow me to take advantage of being here, from El Retorno of Guaviare, to deliver a message to these people from the First Front who have doubts - have no doubt, welcome this process because it will be your last chance," Santos said during a speech in the southeastern department fo El Guaviare. The unit, which famously held ex-presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three American contractors hostage, said the deals being reached at the talks will not solve the social and economic problems which first motivated rebels to take up arms more than five decades ago. But Santos expressed little patience for rhetoric. "And all the power of our forces will come down on those who remain outside of this process. The thousands and thousands of soldiers that we have throughout the country, who are now caring for our pipelines - we will gather them to pursue those remaining outside, that is anyone who has some doubt better set it aside and embrace (the process) because it is the last chance that you will have to change your life, because any other way will end, I assure you, in a grave or in prison," he said. Santos has said the peace talks, aimed at ending a conflict which has killed more than 220,000 and displaced millions, may conclude as early as this month. Any deal will be put to Colombians for approval in a plebiscite vote. (Reuters)

'Last chance' Santos tells rebels unwilling to disarm under peace deal

A unit of Colombia&#39;s FARC rebel group says it will not lay down arms or demobilize under a potential peace deal with the government, the first public sign of opposition to an accord from within the rebel ranks. 
 
The statement by the Armando Rios First Front, a 200-strong rebel unit in the Southeastern jungle province of Guaviare, comes nearly two weeks after leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the government announced a ceasefire deal at their more than three-year-old peace talks. 
 
&quot;We have decided not to demobilize, we will continue the fight for the taking of power by the people for the people, independent of the decision taken by the rest of the members of the organisation,&quot; the unit said in a statement on Wednesday. 
 
The unit, which famously held ex-presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three American contractors hostage, said the deals being reached at the talks will not solve the social and economic problems which first motivated rebels to take up arms more than five decades ago. 
 
President Juan Manuel Santos has said the peace talks, aimed at ending a conflict which has killed more than 220,000 and displaced millions, may conclude as early as this month. Any deal will be put to Colombians for approval in a plebiscite vote. 
 
(Reuters) 
 
 
&nbsp;

They say the peace deals being reached won't solve the social, economic problems which first motivated rebels to take up arms 5 decades ago

A unit of Colombia's FARC rebel group says it will not lay down arms or demobilize under a potential peace deal with the government, the first public sign of opposition to an accord from within the rebel ranks. The statement by the Armando Rios First Front, a 200-strong rebel unit in the Southeastern jungle province of Guaviare, comes nearly two weeks after leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the government announced a ceasefire deal at their more than three-year-old peace talks. "We have decided not to demobilize, we will continue the fight for the taking of power by the people for the people, independent of the decision taken by the rest of the members of the organisation," the unit said in a statement on Wednesday. The unit, which famously held ex-presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three American contractors hostage, said the deals being reached at the talks will not solve the social and economic problems which first motivated rebels to take up arms more than five decades ago. President Juan Manuel Santos has said the peace talks, aimed at ending a conflict which has killed more than 220,000 and displaced millions, may conclude as early as this month. Any deal will be put to Colombians for approval in a plebiscite vote. (Reuters)

Colombian FARC rebel unit pledges not to disarm under peace deal

Romania&#39;s anti-mafia police have seized 2.5 tonnes of cocaine worth at least 600 million Euros ($667.20 million) street value, hidden in banana containers from Colombia in the Black Sea port of Constanta, the country&#39;s biggest ever haul. 
 
The police, which arrested four Lithuanians and one Colombian after a six month-long operation including undercover agents and help from US authorities, said the cocaine was due to be transferred to trucks and sent to the Netherlands. 
 
&quot;The plan was that trucks hired from different companies and bound for the Netherlands were due to transport the drugs among marble (construction) materials,&quot; head of the anti-mafia prosecutor&#39;s office, Daniel Horodniceanu, said. 
 
The drugs belonged to an international crime ring also comprising an ethnic Morocan with Spanish and Dutch citizenship. The man was arrested by Spanish police. 
 
The containers had arrived from Colombia last week. 
 
(Reuters)

The drugs were found hidden in banana containers from Colombia, and were to be shipped via truck concealed amid construction material

Romania's anti-mafia police have seized 2.5 tonnes of cocaine worth at least 600 million Euros ($667.20 million) street value, hidden in banana containers from Colombia in the Black Sea port of Constanta, the country's biggest ever haul. The police, which arrested four Lithuanians and one Colombian after a six month-long operation including undercover agents and help from US authorities, said the cocaine was due to be transferred to trucks and sent to the Netherlands. "The plan was that trucks hired from different companies and bound for the Netherlands were due to transport the drugs among marble (construction) materials," head of the anti-mafia prosecutor's office, Daniel Horodniceanu, said. The drugs belonged to an international crime ring also comprising an ethnic Morocan with Spanish and Dutch citizenship. The man was arrested by Spanish police. The containers had arrived from Colombia last week. (Reuters)

Record 2.5-tonnes of cocaine seized in Romania

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrived in Havana late Wednesday night ahead of the signing of an agreement between Colombia&#39;s government and leftist FARC rebels. 
 
The two sides are slated to sign an agreement to end hostilities with a definitive ceasefire today. 
 
After more than three years of fraught talks in the Cuban capital, the agreement brings into sight an end to a conflict that began as a 1960s peasant revolt before exploding into a cocaine-fuelled war that has killed at least 220,000 people and displaced millions. 
 
The accord will be signed in Havana by President Juan Manuel Santos and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, rebel leader Rodrigo Londono, better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko. 
 
The agreement would leave the two sides just a step away from resolving the longest-running conflict in the Western Hemisphere. 
 
&quot;I congratulate (Colombian) President (Juan Manuel) Santos and the Colombian government. I congratulate the Revolutionary Armed Forces (of Colombia), the FARC and their commander, Timoleon for this historic advancement, this gigantic step. Peace in Colombia is our peace,&quot; Maduro said, referring to Londono by another of his aliases. 
 
Ban and Maduro were expected to attend the signing ceremony along with Cuban President Raul Castro and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. 
 
The ceremony is expected to be held at 12:00 EDT (1600 GMT) 
 
(Reuters)

The agreement ends what started as a 1960s peasant revolt but ended up killing 220,000 and displacing millions

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrived in Havana late Wednesday night ahead of the signing of an agreement between Colombia's government and leftist FARC rebels. The two sides are slated to sign an agreement to end hostilities with a definitive ceasefire today. After more than three years of fraught talks in the Cuban capital, the agreement brings into sight an end to a conflict that began as a 1960s peasant revolt before exploding into a cocaine-fuelled war that has killed at least 220,000 people and displaced millions. The accord will be signed in Havana by President Juan Manuel Santos and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, rebel leader Rodrigo Londono, better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko. The agreement would leave the two sides just a step away from resolving the longest-running conflict in the Western Hemisphere. "I congratulate (Colombian) President (Juan Manuel) Santos and the Colombian government. I congratulate the Revolutionary Armed Forces (of Colombia), the FARC and their commander, Timoleon for this historic advancement, this gigantic step. Peace in Colombia is our peace," Maduro said, referring to Londono by another of his aliases. Ban and Maduro were expected to attend the signing ceremony along with Cuban President Raul Castro and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. The ceremony is expected to be held at 12:00 EDT (1600 GMT) (Reuters)

Ban Ki-moon and Venezuela's Maduro arrive for Colombia-FARC agreement

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