Former Colombian President Andres Pastrana in an open letter criticizes the phenomenon of parapolitics in Colombia's current administration and says that President Alvaro Uribe has a lot of explaining to do.
Playing on the Uribe-supporting Partido de la U's slogan "Because going back is not an option", Pastrana published the open letter titled "Why going back is a good idea."
The letter is a response to an article published by Uribe's former presidential adviser and the cousin of slain drug lord Pablo Escobar, Jose Obdulio Gaviria, criticizing Pastrana's time as president and alleging that he is allied with the FARC.
In the letter Pastrana, Colombia's president from 1998-2002, claims that a newly-elected Uribe tried to improve his public image by characterising his predecessor as a FARC supporter.
Pastrana says that one day "Uribe will have to explain to the country and the world" why so many members of his administration signed the 2001 Ralito Pact - an agreement between politicians, businessmen and far-right paramilitaries to secure political power - and have been implicated in "parapolitics."
"He [Uribe] also owes us an explanation as to how Pablo Escobar's closest consort came to be his [Uribe's] adviser," Pastrana continues.
Pastrana adds that if Uribe's "forced re-election" doesn't work out, the president "deserves a good vacation."
The former president finishes by saying that Uribe may one day have to directly address the parapolitics scandals that have rocked his administration by "comparing [Pastrana's] peace talks with the FARC to the Ralito pact."
Compatriota
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... President Pastrana is angry because his administration failed to bring Colombia forward. As with the civil war in the US reperations and reconstruction must be made to move the country forward. President Uribe, with the personal loss of his father, has done all in his power to bring both sides together. Not two countries President Pastrana, FARC land and Colombia but one. It will take generations with many hard working dedicated people to bring Colombia's young people, who know nothing but violence, back into a working society. What did the US do after the civil war? Put all of the combatants into prison, no, instead they laid down their weapons and picked up the pen instead to create one country. Pipe dream, no, reality yes. Get ready South America a new, stronger and more marketable Colombia is on the rise. A message to the US contractors, big business or anyone else that is making money off of this war "Back off". |
Kalcu
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... Well to tell the US businesses, contractors and everyone else making money from Colombia's Civil War. You are telling Uribe's agenda to back off, because that is what has pushed the efforts forward....the cure is also the cause in a lot of ways. America is on an agenda to call everyone that fails to agree with it's policies a terrorist. I don't hear a lot of Colombians talk about seeing Bush's war on terror, that said a lot of lies fueling war in their country. It's said to be after FARC, but we will see how that one goes. |
gringomedellin
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... @Kalcu FYI Bush is gone has been for over a year now, and yes the FARC is a terrorist group, Colombia needs to address the issue of the voilence broght about by the drug trade. As for former President Pastrana he was a failure in which he more or less turned most of the country over to the FARC and Paramilitary. |
chica701
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... If Pastrana would have taken the time to actually givern, instead of spending most of his time with prepagos, perhaps he wouldn't be so bitter now. The Colombian people love the US, so your anti-American rhetoric won't fly here, bobito. |
