Colombian President Alvaro Uribe criticized France for losing interest in Colombia after FARC hostage Ingrid Betancourt was rescued, in an unprecedented three hour live broadcast on W Radio Friday.
Uribe expressed his disappointment that France had turned its back on Colombia, after Uribe's government agreed to a humanitarian exchange of FARC "foreign minister" Rodrigo Granda - at French President Nicolas Sarkozy's request - to aid in the liberation of French-Colombian Ingrid Betancourt.
The president went on to appeal to France to help Colombia finalize a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union.
During the three hour radio broadcast, Uribe also stressed that his government had made progress in protecting labor and human rights. He asked the international community to be objective in its analysis of Colombia's human rights record and not to discriminate against the country when adopting international treaties.
Uribe signed an FTA with former U.S. President George W. Bush, but it has been stalled in U.S. Congress due to concerns about ongoing violence against organised labor in Colombia.
The Colombian president also addressed the DAS wiretapping scandal. He reiterated that he did not authorize or know about the illegal wiretapping of prominent Colombia judges, politicians, trade unionists and journalists
However he said that if it were proved that the government had ordered the wiretappings, then they would accept responsibility.
Uribe is serving his last few months as Colombian president. The Constitutional Court last Friday found a proposed referendum to allow his re-election to be unconstitutional. Uribe has not officially stated which presidential candidate he would like to see succeed him.
Former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos leads opinion polls as the most popular presidential candidate.
progresivo
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... Why does Uribe complains about the international community when he has been the one that has isolated us with his lousy undiplomatic style ?? |
cripancho
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... Uribe stop complaining, and learn how to be cultured and diplomatic. Stealing GW Bush play book is getting really old. |
apracino
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... First reform (see Human right watch report) then an FTA agreement with the EU!!!!! |
apracino
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... Uribe: whose brother had organized 20 or more death squads and maintained a couple of them out at the family hacienda; whose cousin in the Colombian Congress was the mouthpiece for those death squads as well as a close friend and promoter of various well known narcotrafficantes, including the legendary Pablo Escobar; someone whose own father was wanted by the Colombian police and the U.S. DEA for cocaine trafficking when he was killed in an abortive kidnap plot; and who himself was removed from his position as mayor of Medellín for having well-known ties to drug runners. |
Bluebird
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... Well Well Well.....By the comments posted above it looks like we have a gang of Chavistas that decided to congregate here and do some mudslinging... LOL |
cripancho
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... Chavistas? Why do you think that anybody who states the truth about Uribe is Chavista? I think Chavez is a Clown I guess the truth really bothers you Bluebird. Did you ever figure out the "Military Industrial Complex'? Eisenhower was a Republican, since you think that questioning corrupt governments is wrong. |
