Books by US songwriter Bob Dylan, the laureate of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature, are displayed at the Swedish Academy in Stockholm, Sweden, on Oct. 13. AFP
OSLO, Norway鈥擨n the absence of rock icon Bob Dylan, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos will be the star of Saturday鈥檚 Nobel ceremonies when he receives his Peace Prize in Oslo, crowning an achievement that came close to failing at the finish line.
After a first peace deal rejected by the Colombian people, Santos鈥檚 government and the Marxist FARC rebels renegotiated a new peace accord that was signed on November 24 to end a five-decade conflict that has killed more than 260,000 people, left 45,000 missing and forced nearly seven million to flee their homes.
鈥淪omething that was for many Colombians and for many Latin-Americans and for the world an impossible dream just a few years ago is now reality,鈥� Santos told reporters in the Norwegian capital on the eve of the prize ceremony.
The peace process had suffered a major setback on Oct. 2 when Colombians narrowly rejected a first peace accord in a referendum.
While the 鈥渘o鈥� vote appeared to send Santos鈥檚 chances of winning the Nobel up in smoke, the Norwegian Nobel Committee stunned world watchers five days later by awarding him the prize, arguing that Colombians had rejected the peace deal but not peace itself.
鈥淚t shows that peace is not made in one day,鈥� Berit Reiss-Andersen, deputy chairwoman of the Nobel committee, said on Friday.
The 65-year-old laureate called the prize a 鈥済ift from heaven鈥� that gave a 鈥渢remendous push鈥� to reach a new agreement with FARC.
鈥淧eople in Colombia interpreted it as a mandate from the international community to persevere, to continue striving to achieve a peace agreement,鈥� Santos said.
鈥淚t encouraged me, it encouraged our negotiators, but particularly it encouraged the Colombian people to press鈥� for a new deal, he said.
The peace deal, amended to include proposals from the opposition, calls for the rebels鈥� disarmament and FARC鈥檚 transformation into a political movement.
The Peace Prize will be presented early on Saturday afternoon at Oslo鈥檚 City Hall at a ceremony attended by the royal family, members of the Norwegian government, representatives of victims of the conflict, and two high-profile former FARC hostages, Ingrid Betancourt and Clara Rojas.
The Nobel prize consists of a gold medal, a diploma and a cheque for eight million Swedish kronor (824,000 euros, $871,000), a sum Santos promised to donate to the victims of the war.
Dylan鈥檚 snub
Later on Saturday, another ceremony will be held in Stockholm where the Nobel laureates in the sciences, economics and literature will be honored鈥攁 ceremony marked by the notable absence of this year鈥檚 literature laureate, Bob Dylan.
The first songwriter to win the prestigious award, he has declined to attend the glittering ceremony due to 鈥減re-existing commitments.鈥�
The no-show has created a stir in Sweden, where it has been perceived as a slight towards the Swedish Academy that awards the literature prize and the Nobel Foundation.
Announced as the winner on October 14, Dylan waited almost two weeks to publicly acknowledge the accolade, a silence one Academy member termed 鈥渋mpolite and arrogant鈥�.
Dylan did ultimately say he was honored to win, but then informed the Academy in mid-November that he would not be travelling to Stockholm to accept his prize.
鈥淎 slap in the face,鈥� remarked editorialist Lena Mellin at one of Sweden鈥檚 biggest dailies, Aftonbladet.
鈥淎nyone who has ever received a prize, even if it鈥檚 just for being the best neighbor in the apartment building, knows that the least one can do is go and accept it,鈥� she wrote.
On social media, opinions were mixed.
鈥淚f it were me, I would probably 鈥� collect a Nobel Prize and $900,000. But it鈥檚 Bob, and that鈥檚 part of what makes him Bob,鈥� wrote fan Evan Sarzin on the singer鈥檚 Facebook page.
鈥淗e is 75, give him a break,鈥� argued another, Karen Lunebach.
鈥淏ut what is Bob Dylan doing instead of going to the Nobel ceremony,鈥� asked daily Svenska Dagbladet on Friday, joking about his 鈥減re-existing commitments鈥� even though no concert was scheduled for Saturday.
The singer-songwriter has sent a thank-you speech to be read at the gala banquet at Stockholm鈥檚 City Hall, attended by around 1,300 guests and the Swedish royal family.
And just before that, American rock star Patti Smith will sing Dylan鈥檚 鈥淎 Hard Rain鈥檚 A-Gonna Fall鈥� during the formal prize ceremony at Stockholm鈥檚 Concert Hall.
According to the Nobel Foundation, his prize should be presented to him in person sometime in 2017, either in Sweden or abroad.