Posted on 05/29/2006 8:32:26 PM PDT by FairOpinion
Colombians granted their Right-wing president a second four years in office yesterday, backing his assaults on the booming drugs trade.
Alvaro Uribe, Washington's staunchest ally in Latin America, changed the constitution last year to allow himself to seek re-election and becomes the first Colombian president to win a second term for more than a century.
His victory, with 62 per cent of the vote, halts a trend in the continent that has seen Left-wing leaders elected in Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile and Uruguay.
The Oxford-educated president campaigned on his uncompromising security policy, under which murder rates have fallen by a quarter and kidnappings by two thirds.
But Colombia remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world and the 43-year conflict between the state, Marxist guerillas and Right-wing militias still rages.
"Democratic security has started to regain the liberties that terrorism had taken from us," Mr Uribe, 53, told supporters during his victory speech. "We have to construct a truly secure nation."
Two tons of cocaine were seized during the elections, a stark reminder that Mr Uribe and his American backers are not making inroads into the drugs trade.
Last year, drug crops in the world's biggest cocaine producer increased by 21 per cent, filling the war chests of the guerrillas and the drug barons. "Look, this election was a no brainer," said Alvaro Camacho, 32, a manager, after depositing his vote for Mr Uribe.
"Uribe does scare me with his lack of respect for debate and freedom of expression, but the guerrillas and narcos scare me a lot more."
The 220,000 troops deployed to police the voting were not required as rebels kept their promise not to disrupt the election.
A ban on the sale of alcohol over the weekend helped to ensure calm.
Washington expressed its delight with the result, hoping that Mr Uribe will provide a counterbalance to Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, a persistent critic of the Bush administration.
Mr Uribe's counterparts range from moderate social democrats in Brazil, Chile and Uruguay to Mr Chavez and Evo Morales of Bolivia, who have sought to use massive natural resources to detach themselves from Washington's orbit.
"Colombia represents political leadership rather than ideological rhetoric," said an American official during a high-level meeting of Bush officials in the US embassy in Bogota.
"Colombia has come a long way because of sound leadership and economic policies. It is a clear example of what other countries can do."
Mr Uribe will need the continuing support and largesse of Mr Bush if he is to keep up the pressure on the guerrillas and the drugs traffickers. Washington supplies £400 million in aid per year.
Mr Uribe's domestic rivals were largely shunned by the electorate, although the 22 per cent support for Carlos Gaviria, the Democratic Pole's candidate, was a record for the Colombian Left.
There are already too many leftists in S America.
my roommate is from Colombia. he considers himself a liberal, but is a staunch supporter of Uribe.
If his views can be used as any sort of indication, South America (or at least Colombia) is well aware of the dangers inherent in the Left.
*****If his views can be used as any sort of indication, South America (or at least Colombia) is well aware of the dangers inherent in the Left.*****
poorly worded. what i meant to say was that Colombia IS aware, and the rest of the continent is (or soon will be) waking up to it. my apologies.
Leftist? Call them what they are - communist! Then again, people states side might get the bright idea of what is really going on here at home.
It is not halted. There will be Venezuelan suported "insurgency" in Colombia and border skirmishing, maybe a full blown war.
Funny, Colombia is the only country that has to deal with the threat of terrorism, and it votes with the right-wing.
Too bad the US left is trying to make Colombia an "American created-disaster" the way they successfully did with Nicaragua and El Salvador in the 80's.
It may be a long, long, loooong shot, but it would be sweet to see the Colombia prosper while their wacky-Marxist neighbors colapse. It will prosper as long as we don't let them get choked out by those Maxist weeds.
I would not be surprised to see Chavez attack Colombia at some point in the future.
hopefully their reelected president can stay alive. there are continual threats on his life.
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