“HATE won” in Colombia on Sunday as the public narrowly rejected a peace deal with the rebel Farc group, dashing hopes of an end to the country’s 52-year civil war.

With 99.94 per cent of the vote counted on Monday, the “No” camp had 50.2 per cent to 49.7 per cent for “Yes” — a difference of 59,000 votes out of 13 million ballots cast.

Supporters of the peace campaign wept as the result came in, while the rejectionists led by former president Alvaro Uribe celebrated.

Speaking from his ranch outside Medellin — where the “No” campaign was led by convicted cocaine cartel assassin John Jairo “Popeye” Velasquez — Mr Uribe called for a “great national pact.”

The former president and backer of Washington’s murderous “Plan Colombia” attacked the peace deal — hammered out over four years of delicate negotiations in the Cuban capital Havana — as “full of impunity” to Farc guerillas.

The accord however offered partial immunity for rebels, prosecuting those accused of murders or human rights abuses, while guerillas would disarm and return to civilian life — a process that has already begun.

Despite the outcome of the vote, Farc has vowed to redouble efforts for an end to half a century of conflict, insisting “peace will win.”

Farc leader Timochenko said the rebel group “profoundly lamented that the destructive power of those who sow hatred and rancour has influenced Colombian public opinion.

“With today’s result, we know our challenge as a political movement is yet greater and requires us to be stronger to build a stable and durable peace,” he added, reiterating the Farc’s willingness for peace and to “use only the word as a weapon.”

“To the Colombian people who dream of peace, they can count on us,” he concluded. “Peace will win!”

President Juan Manuel Santos also promised to keep working for an end to the conflict saying: “I won’t give up. I’ll continue to search for peace until the last moment of my mandate.”

Yesterday Britain’s Justice for Colombia (JfC) campaign pointed out that people in the areas of the country and sections of society most affected by the conflict voted overwhelmingly for peace.

“It would be a tragedy if what has been achieved so far was dismantled,” said JfC programme assistant Cherilyn Elston.

She highlighted Mr Uribe’s double standards in opposing the peace accord after granting total impunity to far-right death squads that disarmed in the 2000s.

“Despite their ‘demobilisation’ paramilitary groups are still present in Colombia and responsible for the murders of social and political activists,” she said, adding that at least 13 had been killed since the final peace deal was announced at the end of August.