Colombia Reports

Spanish opposition leader Mariano Rajoy commended President Alvaro Uribe on improving Colombia's human rights record during his administration, following a meeting with the president on Friday.

Rajoy, the parliamentary leader of the conservative party Partido Popular, noted that Uribe "has left an extraordinary legacy" and that "the whole world hopes that Colombia, which has improved a lot during this time [under Uribe], continues improving in the future."

Rajoy also spoke highly of Uribe's presidency-defining democratic security policy, saying that it "is a legacy that still remains" and that he is "absolutely convinced that the person who replaces [Uribe] .. as president should no doubt seek to maintain it."

The Spanish leader also applauded Uribe for his strategy in his fight against terrorism. "You should never negotiate with terrorists...They should be tracked down and defeated by the state security forces." He went on to say that all countries must collaborate to help each other fight terrorism.

Rajoy travelled to Colombia on Thursday to meet with Uribe to discuss the alleged relationship between Venezuela and terrorist groups the FARC, and the ETA, and also to exchange views on Spanish-Colombian relations, Colombian-EU relations, and economic cooperation.