REBELS GATHERING TO SIGN GUATEMALAN PEACE PACT.Byline: Anita Snow Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Four rebel leaders stepped off a jet called The Wings of Peace here Saturday, returning from exile to a city they once hoped to capture. A military band played a popular tune and hundreds of rebel supporters cheered in welcome as aging guerrilla commanders Pablo Monsanto, Rolando Moran, Carlos Gonzalez and Jorge Rosal arrived at Guatemala's international airport. ``We are thrilled to return to Guatemala and to finally achieve peace,'' Monsanto said. ``I hope we will have a country with justice.'' Tears welled up in some of the rebel commanders' eyes as they waved to hundreds of supporters at the airport. A boy in a straw hat held a blue flag with the letters ``URNG URNG Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (Spanish: National Guatemalan Revolutionary Unit) ,'' the Spanish acronym acronym: see abbreviation. A word typically made up of the first letters of two or more words; for example, BASIC stands for "Beginners All purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. for Guatemala National Revolutionary Unity - the coalition of four rebel groups that are to wage peace after 36 years of war. Outside, rebels wearing blue kerchiefs to hide their identities set off fireworks fireworks: see pyrotechnics. fireworks Explosives or combustibles used for display. Of ancient Chinese origin, fireworks evidently developed out of military rockets and explosive missiles and accompanied the spread of military explosives westward to in celebration. Mayan Indians lighted white candles on the sidewalk in prayers for peace. The four commanders returned from Mexico City Mexico City Spanish Ciudad de México City (pop., 2000: city, 8,605,239; 2003 metro. area est., 18,660,000), capital of Mexico. Located at an elevation of 7,350 ft (2,240 m), it is officially coterminous with the Federal District, which occupies 571 sq mi where, for six years, they and Guatemalan government officials painstakingly crafted a peace accord that they are to sign today. The agreement will end Central America's last and longest civil war in which at least 140,000 people died and 100,000 more fled. Banners hung from the terminal's balcony saying ``Welcome friends'' and ``URNG for full democracy with social justice.'' Rebel Edvin Estuardo, 25, was enthusiastic about the commanders' return. ``We are no longer afraid to go out into the light of day,'' said Estuardo, who was dressed in civilian clothes. ``With the accords, the oppression has lessened.'' The rebels found that negotiation was the key to win ``all that we had sought on the military field,'' Gonzalez said before he and the other commanders boarded buses amid a cacophony of cheers, sirens Sirens with song, bird-women lure sailors to death. [Gk. Myth.: Odyssey] See : Enchantment sirens their singing so sweet, it lured sailors to their death. [Gk. Myth.: Hamilton, 48] See : Singer , car horns and firecrackers. Today's signing will trigger earlier agreements to reform agriculture and the economy, protect human rights, establish a truth commission to investigate war crimes, resettle resettle Verb [-tling, -tled] to settle to live in a different place resettlement n Verb 1. refugees, recognize Indian rights, demobilize de·mo·bil·ize tr.v. de·mo·bil·ized, de·mo·bil·iz·ing, de·mo·bil·iz·es 1. To discharge from military service or use. 2. To disband (troops). and disarm rebels, and determine the future of the military. ``I think the conditions for peace exist. I think we Guatemalans know how to do it,'' said Gustavo Porras, a former rebel who later became the chief government negotiator. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Guatemalan rebel commanders prepare to head for the peace signing. Associated Press |
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