Editor
29-05-2006, 09:44 AM
Colombia's Uribe wins re-election in landslide
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA - Colombians re-elected President Alvaro Uribe by an overwhelming margin Sunday, rewarding the law-and-order incumbent for boosting security in this war-torn nation.
With 99 percent of the ballots counted, the right-wing Uribe led with 62 percent compared with 22 percent for Carlos Gaviria, a left-wing former judge and senator, according to official results. Liberal Party hopeful Horacio Serpa placed third with about 11 percent in the six-candidate field.
Uribe, Washington's closest ally in Latin America, needed more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a June runoff between the top two finishers. The 53-year-old will be sworn in for a second four-year term Aug. 7.
"We will move forward to have a secure Colombia so that our youth can live happily on our noble soil," said Uribe, 53, in a sober, 45-minute victory speech. "May God help us so that this democratic decision is worthy of our great country."
Uribe teared up at the end of his speech when he mentioned his father, who was killed by guerrillas in a botched kidnapping attempt in the 1980s.
More than 200,000 police and army troops were deployed to guarantee security, and the voting took place across the country amid relative calm. The only real drama going into Sunday's vote was the size of Uribe's landslide.
"We knew we would win in the first round but never thought the victory would be so massive," said German Vargas Lleras, a pro-Uribe senator.
Battered by a 42-year civil war, drug-related violence and an epidemic of kidnappings, Colombians first elected Uribe four years ago. On the day he was sworn in, guerrillas attacked the national palace with homemade rockets.
With the help of $3 billion in U.S. aid, Uribe fought back. His administration recruited thousands of new police and army troops who have helped to drive the guerrillas away from the country's main cities and to crack down on kidnappings and criminal gangs.
Better security paved the way for an economic recovery and the creation of thousands of new jobs. Colombians also have taken a shine to Uribe's take-charge personality and workaholic hours.
Polls have measured Uribe's job-approval rating at more than 60 percent throughout his presidency. Last year, Uribe persuaded the Colombian Congress to amend the Constitution to allow him to run for a second consecutive term. He is the first Colombian incumbent to be re-elected since 1892.
"He's the only recent president who has taken charge of this country," Irma de Poveda, a 72-year-old homemaker, said after casting her ballot for Uribe. "He always looks tired, because he works so much. He does things rather than just making promises."
Critics, however, describe Uribe as a dangerous authoritarian figure. Uribe refused to debate opposition candidates and told voters the vote Sunday was a choice between the forces of good and communism. Others point out his security policies have led to the arrest of thousands accused of aiding and abetting the guerrillas but were later released for lack of proof.
"The results have come at a very high price," said Gaviria, 69, the runner-up on Sunday who was one of Uribe's university law professors in the 1970s. "We are not camouflaged communists."
Gaviria received more votes than any other left-wing presidential candidate in Colombia's recent history.
Still, the results bring an end to a string of victories by left-wing presidential candidates in South America, who now govern most of the continent. Uribe's win was sure to hearten the Bush administration, which supplied his government with more than $3 billion in mostly military and anti-drug aid.
Uribe supported the Iraq invasion, signed a free-trade agreement with the United Sates and adopted nearly every counternarcotics policy recommended by Washington.
Contrasting Uribe with Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's left-wing president who has traded harsh words with the Bush administration, a senior State Department official heaped praise on Uribe during a meeting Friday with foreign correspondents in Bogota. "Colombia represents political leadership rather than ideological rhetoric," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Colombia has come a long way because of sound leadership and sound economic policies. It is a clear example of what other countries can do."
Thousands of guerrillas remain entrenched in southern Colombia. More than 30,000 right-wing paramilitary gunmen have disarmed over the past two years, but many of the vigilantes remain deeply involved in the drug trade.
What's more, Colombia remains the world's largest producer of cocaine, and there are no signs that the U.S.-backed war on drugs is having much impact. Last year, the size of the country's coca crop jumped by 21 percent, according to the CIA.
By JOHN OTIS
South America Bureau
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3912293. html
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA - Colombians re-elected President Alvaro Uribe by an overwhelming margin Sunday, rewarding the law-and-order incumbent for boosting security in this war-torn nation.
With 99 percent of the ballots counted, the right-wing Uribe led with 62 percent compared with 22 percent for Carlos Gaviria, a left-wing former judge and senator, according to official results. Liberal Party hopeful Horacio Serpa placed third with about 11 percent in the six-candidate field.
Uribe, Washington's closest ally in Latin America, needed more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a June runoff between the top two finishers. The 53-year-old will be sworn in for a second four-year term Aug. 7.
"We will move forward to have a secure Colombia so that our youth can live happily on our noble soil," said Uribe, 53, in a sober, 45-minute victory speech. "May God help us so that this democratic decision is worthy of our great country."
Uribe teared up at the end of his speech when he mentioned his father, who was killed by guerrillas in a botched kidnapping attempt in the 1980s.
More than 200,000 police and army troops were deployed to guarantee security, and the voting took place across the country amid relative calm. The only real drama going into Sunday's vote was the size of Uribe's landslide.
"We knew we would win in the first round but never thought the victory would be so massive," said German Vargas Lleras, a pro-Uribe senator.
Battered by a 42-year civil war, drug-related violence and an epidemic of kidnappings, Colombians first elected Uribe four years ago. On the day he was sworn in, guerrillas attacked the national palace with homemade rockets.
With the help of $3 billion in U.S. aid, Uribe fought back. His administration recruited thousands of new police and army troops who have helped to drive the guerrillas away from the country's main cities and to crack down on kidnappings and criminal gangs.
Better security paved the way for an economic recovery and the creation of thousands of new jobs. Colombians also have taken a shine to Uribe's take-charge personality and workaholic hours.
Polls have measured Uribe's job-approval rating at more than 60 percent throughout his presidency. Last year, Uribe persuaded the Colombian Congress to amend the Constitution to allow him to run for a second consecutive term. He is the first Colombian incumbent to be re-elected since 1892.
"He's the only recent president who has taken charge of this country," Irma de Poveda, a 72-year-old homemaker, said after casting her ballot for Uribe. "He always looks tired, because he works so much. He does things rather than just making promises."
Critics, however, describe Uribe as a dangerous authoritarian figure. Uribe refused to debate opposition candidates and told voters the vote Sunday was a choice between the forces of good and communism. Others point out his security policies have led to the arrest of thousands accused of aiding and abetting the guerrillas but were later released for lack of proof.
"The results have come at a very high price," said Gaviria, 69, the runner-up on Sunday who was one of Uribe's university law professors in the 1970s. "We are not camouflaged communists."
Gaviria received more votes than any other left-wing presidential candidate in Colombia's recent history.
Still, the results bring an end to a string of victories by left-wing presidential candidates in South America, who now govern most of the continent. Uribe's win was sure to hearten the Bush administration, which supplied his government with more than $3 billion in mostly military and anti-drug aid.
Uribe supported the Iraq invasion, signed a free-trade agreement with the United Sates and adopted nearly every counternarcotics policy recommended by Washington.
Contrasting Uribe with Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's left-wing president who has traded harsh words with the Bush administration, a senior State Department official heaped praise on Uribe during a meeting Friday with foreign correspondents in Bogota. "Colombia represents political leadership rather than ideological rhetoric," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Colombia has come a long way because of sound leadership and sound economic policies. It is a clear example of what other countries can do."
Thousands of guerrillas remain entrenched in southern Colombia. More than 30,000 right-wing paramilitary gunmen have disarmed over the past two years, but many of the vigilantes remain deeply involved in the drug trade.
What's more, Colombia remains the world's largest producer of cocaine, and there are no signs that the U.S.-backed war on drugs is having much impact. Last year, the size of the country's coca crop jumped by 21 percent, according to the CIA.
By JOHN OTIS
South America Bureau
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3912293. html