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HAVANA, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Around 200 Colombians in Cuba have been called to vote on Sunday in a plebiscite on the peace deal agreed between the administration of President Juan Manuel Santos and the FARC.
The plebiscite will either make or break a historic peace deal designed to put an end to Latin America's longest running civil conflict.
In Cuba, site of the peace talks for the last four years, many Colombians believe this is a unique opportunity for the country' s history.
"Colombia needs to have peace and I hope that millions support this agreement that will let us live a new period in the country," Andrea Bendeck, a 21-year-old medical student, told Xinhua.
Bendeck expressed optimism about the result of Sunday's vote and added that he hoped all the resources poured into the war would now go towards meeting Colombia's education and social needs.
Polls released earlier this week showed the "Yes" camp leading with more than 60 percent of the votes.
"I hope that we can finally achieve peace in our nation. This is a perfect opportunity to end a bloodshed of over 50 years that has caused suffering to millions," said Climaco Zamorano, an 82-year-old Colombian who has lived in Cuba for over six decades.
In Havana, the Colombian consulate opened its doors at 8 a.m. local time for the vote to begin.
"Today, the country's future is decided. We can choose to bring many years of violence to an end and we expect, after the agreement is ratified in today's plebiscite, that we will reach definitive peace," said Luis Fernando Cordoba, Colombian consul in Havana, in a speech to mark the event.
The diplomat also explained that certain top FARC leaders, which are currently in Cuba, cannot vote on the island as they were not registered to vote in Colombia's 2014 presidential election.
Cordoba also thanked Cuba for hosting the successful peace talks from 2012 to 2016.
