Mixed feelings for Colombian Montrealers about peace deal's failure

The narrow rejection Sunday night by voters in Colombia ofa peacedeal between the government and the rebelgroup known as FARC left someColombianMontrealers feeling "shocked," and others relieved.

The peace accord betweenColombian President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC commander Rodrigo Londonowas seen as a vital step towards ending a52-year conflict, which has claimed 220,000 lives and left millions displaced.

• Colombians vote narrowly against FARC peace deal

But Colombians rejected the deal in a referendum, with 50.23 per cent voting No and 49.76 per cent voting Yes.

"I'm deeply disappointed.For me, this is the first time in my life that I feel ashamed to be Colombian," said Juanita Botero, whomoved to Montreal from Bogota just over ayear ago.

For Botero, whose family is from the central Colombian city of Manizales, the deal was going to be a welcome and"motivating" change after years of hardship.

"We had some family members that were victims of kidnapping, that were killed, so we know what it's like to be part of the conflict," she said."Yesterday we were shocked."

We all want peace. We don't necessarily agreewith the way theFARCwants peace to happen right nowand that's why people voted No.- KamilLuna, Colombian Montrealer

Jonathan Lopez, a 23-year-old studentat McGill University, was also disappointed by the results.

"I was expecting the majority of Colombians to finally bring peace to the country after more than 50 years of conflict," he said.

Lopez wasn't the only one who thought the peace deal, four years in the making, would result in a Yes vote.

Many polls leading up the referendum gavethe Yes camp a sizeable lead.

"There is for sure a lot of division in Colombia right now," Lopez said.

"There might be a lot of protests as well because 49 per centof the people, they want peace and they're not going to accept this decision as the final one."

Disagreement on what a peace deal should look like

For ColombianMontrealer Kamil Luna, voting No didn't mean he was voting in favour of conflict.

"We all want peace. We don't necessarily agree with the way theFARCwants peace to happen right now, and that's why people voted No,"Lunasaid.

• Why the deal to end Colombia's 5-decade war is no guarantee of easy peace

Many in the slight majority that voted No did so in part because FARC members were givenamnesty and would be allowed to participate in upcoming presidential and legislative elections.

But Botero said the country "badly needed a yes" to put an end to the violent conflict that mostly affectsrural regions.

Luna, on the other hand, suggested the FARC'sinfluence in rural areas inflated support for the peace deal in those areas of the country.

"I understand that most ofthe violence happens in the rural areas, but likewise, the guerillas holda lot of power in rural areas,"Lunasaid."To some extent it's 'Vote for Yes because I'm telling you to vote for Yes because I have a big gun.'"

• 'A leap into the unknown': Colombia's rejection of FARC treaty throws peace process into chaos