Alvaro Uribe is a man who saved a country. Before he came to power in 2002, Colombia was on the brink of collapse, with an economy still trying to recover from the terrible crisis of 1999, and with criminals mandating over large parts of the country.
After four years of failed negotiations with terrorist groups, kidnappings en masse, terrible military defeats, massacres, and a skyrocketing drug production, Mr. Uribe won the presidency promising Colombians both a firm hand and a big heart.
But the task ahead of him was very complicated. Indeed, on the very
moment when he was being sworn as President, with thousands of
distinguished guests looking, the FARC managed to shoot some small
rockets at the façade of the presidential palace. I still remember a
picture of a concerned Prince Felipe de Borbon of Spain staring at the ceiling after the first blast occurred. Back then, one could be forgiven for believing that Mr. Uribe would be unable to stop Colombia from sliding into anarchy.
But Alvaro Uribe delivered. He strengthened Colombia’s military, and gave FARC their worst defeats ever. In the words of the late Manuel Marulanda, the FARC’s founder, with Mr. Uribe in power, that organization lost the gains it obtained in the past twenty years. In addition, around 30,000 members of paramilitary groups were demobilized. Due to a booming world economy, a safer environment inside Colombia, and the use of tax incentives, Colombian GDP saw its fastest growth in several decades. Under President Uribe, Colombia’s income per head (at Purchase Power Parity) has grown around 55% since 2002, from US$5,400 to US$8,300 in 2008. Mr. Uribe’s
policy of Democratic Security also served to dramatically reduce the
number of kidnappings per year, which went down from 2882 to 437. The
murder rate decreased, too, from almost 70 per 100,000 inhabitants in
2002 to 33 homicides per 100,000 people in 2008. The
production of coca and cocaine followed suit as the Colombian state
using resources of Plan Colombia, took control of long abandoned areas.
As The Economist put it a while ago, “only those blinded by ideology would deny that Alvaro Uribe made of Colombia a better place.” By winning reelection in 2006, Mr. Uribe received four more years to consolidate his legacy.
The unprecedented 7 million votes he received were proof that
Colombians trusted him and were thankful for the changes he had brought
until then. No one could have imagined former Presidents Barco, Gaviria, Samper or Pastrana being reelected after the end of their first terms, even if they had wanted to. The fact that the Colombian people wanted Mr. Uribe
to stay in power is telling of how efficient his administration was, of
how much of a difference he had made for ordinary citizens. To have him
in power until 2010 was a wise idea.
But until 2014, not so much. The few doubts there remained about whether Mr. Uribe wanted to be elected for a third term were effaced last week. Days
after members of the government’s coalition in Congress met with the
President, the Senate passed the controversial proposal for a
referendum that would change the constitution and stand as a candidate
in next year’s election. The House of Representatives will vote on the
issue this week, perhaps favorably, although the government will have a
tougher time than in the upper house. Last
week, as well, the President said in a speech that his policies “had
the right” to continue, once again signaling (although still in veiled
form) that he wants to preside over Colombia for another term.
Mr. Uribe
must be stopped. His ambitions to remain in power are dangerous for
Colombia’s institutions and represent a mockery to the Constitution. Of course, many of those who admire Mr. Uribe
wonder why one should deny a third term to the best President Colombia
has had in many decades. If two terms were this good, why not have
another one? In the first place, because it is a matter of principle.
All liberal democracies are based on the idea of limiting power, an aim
for which alternation in government becomes necessary. Having an
undefeatable Mr. Uribe
in the ballot for the third time would render elections meaningless,
slowly transforming Colombian politics into a one man show, more than
ever equating government and the state with one person alone. Moreover, if Colombia lets the head of the executive serve in office for twelve consecutive years, many of the checks and balances with the judiciary and the legislative will disappear.
This is even more worrying, considering that Colombia already has a strong presidency, as it is. Presidential
and congressional elections come very close in Colombia’s electoral
calendar, which creates a trail effect that guarantees that the
President will have a majority in Congress. In addition, the President helps select the candidates for many offices of the judiciary, such as the Attorney General and the Constitutional Court,
as well as those of many more institutions. Hundreds of public
officials serve at the pleasure of the President of Colombia. It is
easy to see that one person with that kind of power for twelve years
can turn the state into a machine that is inclined to advance particular, not general, interests. Sadly, I think it is clear, this has already started to occur in the Uribe administration.
And that is why I, like many more uribistas, are disappointed in President Uribe.
We thought him a statesman. We thought he understood what democracy and
republicanism were all about. We wanted him to gallantly refuse to
remain in power because greater, more important values and principles were at stake. We thought he realized that there are qualified, strong, lucid presidential hopefuls who are determined to continue with his policies. Apparently not. The President has been seduced by power and all its delights,
and he will not let go easily. Perhaps he is afraid of slowly becoming
irrelevant in politics, of being surpassed by others, of falling into
the diminished state that all former presidents assume after leaving
office. Perhaps he has come to believe, in what is the first sign of
dictatorial delusion, that nobody but him can run the country.
What goes through Mr. Uribe’s mind, I really do not know. But what has become clear is that the man who saved Colombia is also on his way to become the man who will damage the Republic onto which she is founded. In his first inaugural address, Mr. Uribe said he prayed that God would “illuminate” him in order “to overcome human vanity and to rectify when [he] erred”. In this hour, Mr. Uribe needs a great deal of God’s heavenly light.
Andrewmann552
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... Mr. Cano needs to wake up and smell the thorns. Uribe is going down the same road as Alberto Fujimori, a right-wing crook who took advantage of a nation in crisis to slap on a band aid soaked in blood, enrich the upper classes and foreign corporate vampires and then take full power of the state. At least in Venezuela Hugo Chavez seeks to rebuild a society based on the principles of equality and independence, in Colombia Uribe has produced a mass refugee crisis second only to Sudan, journalists, activists and free thinkers live in fear, especially under threat of Uribe-friendly death squads like the Aguilas Negras while farmers see their crops poisoned by pesticides, and we still haven't gotten to the new, colonial US military presence. Uribe is forming a militarized state very similar to Israel's own jump into the abyss, only Colombia's heroic workers and the masses hold the key to overthrow this Pinochet in the making. |
rick
said:
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... " rebuild a society based on the principles of equality and independence what a croc. Chavez is robbing the rich and giving to the poor for one thing votes. Please show me the equality. He has shut down newspaper, radio stations, TV stations, Internet sites, etc all because they disagree with him. He is no different than any other fascist dictator. He tries to divert attention from his own failing to Colombia as he continues to fund and offer support to a group of thugs who rape, murder, kills innocent children and enslaves them; and kidnaps Colombians for ransom, they also produce tons of illegal drugs, assonate political figure for their beliefs. This is the group that this fat slob mentors...and it is been proven by independent sources in the UN. Yeah sure equality and independence! I think it is time for you to crawl back into your hole now. |
Andrewmann552
said:
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... Rick, you're just blowing smoke my friend. When has Chavez ever shut down an internet website? The majority of Venezuelan media remains privatized and viciously against Chavez. And yes, look at the official statistics, access to healthcare and education in Venezuela crush all of Colombia's figures. I suggest you check out Colombia Journal by the excellent journalist Gary Leech where he chronicles in detail Colombia's serious problems. You want to talk about fascism? Let's see what other regional confrontations the Uribe regime supports so the population can be scared stiff into voting Alvarito into a third term. Sorry "Rick," you need to cut down on the corporate media digestion. This is why I enjoy Colombia Reports, it's much more independent than whatever you smoke amigo. |
Cricky
said:
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... Uribe is a drug lord who reached the presidential seat in fraudulent way, with the monies of the paramilitary and drug cartels (Medellin cartel mainly). For his reelection he bribed senators including Yidis Molina, the only one who is in prison for selling her vote and taking Uribe's dirty money. Uribe's criminal past has been used by the USA to blackmail him into obedience. Uribe's future depends on doing a good job for the Americans. Any mistake and he knows he will end up like General Noriega of Panama. |
rick
said:
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... Andrew, open your eyes. Don’t just focus on one small event to justify an entire argument. Look at the big picture. For example, Chavez has closed 32 radio stations, he forcefully moves to silence critics, Chavez currently is creating legislation for create prison sentences for people who commit media crimes thus stifling freedom of expression. Also, why is Chavez directly interfering with Colombia’s internal affairs and sovereignty? Why does Chavez maintain relations with Hezbollah and Hamas, Iran, and Russia? Why does Chavez continue to lie when it has been proven that he has armed the FARC? And Gary Leech as your source? I am supposed believe someone who is a personal friend of Chavez and openly supports the political aims of FARC. Who is against Colombia, Uribe, and the U.S. democratic system? Hardly someone with unbiased credibility. You can do better than that. |
rick
said:
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... to the editor: you need to allow for more space to presents comments. it is next ti impossible to make concise comments that are relevant. Maybe allow for twice the space or allow additional space on a case by case basis. or you could allow for a point counter point comments where I would present my comments on one side and andrew would make his coment on the other side of the page. This would be cool. |
Adriaan
said:
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... @ Rick, I will make more space available for reactions. I do suggest you read Garry Leech's last book though. I talked to the guy a few times and, even though you may disagree with a number of his conclusions, I wouldn't dismiss his reports. He goes to places where you and I don't have the balls to go. If it wasn't for him the only reports we had were either from the army or the FARC, who aren't very credible because, well, they're at war. |
rick
said:
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... I have met Leech several times and you would be amazed to know just how few times he has even been to Colombia. He has a incredibly biased viewpoint against anyone or anything associated with capitalism and democracy. He views people like Chavez as though he is the second coming for Latin America. I don't see Leech as a reputable source of information. |
Adriaan
said:
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... I didn't say you should agree with him or that he's unbiased in his conclusions, nobody is. There's plenty to criticize about the bias of Colombia Reports too. But you have to admit that Leech adds information to what you and I need to form our opinions. If we only form our opinions on reports by journalists we already agree with or who tell us what we already know, we wouldn't become much wiser. We would just be confirming our personal untruths. |
Casiopeia
said:
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... Excellent neutral yet honest piece. Uribe is indeed a complex President, as a Colombian citizen I cannot deny the achieviements particularly related to security that the country has experienced thanks to Uribe. But at the same time, as a progressive in the U.S. I can't ignore the many alleged links to paramilitarism all over his Cabinet and Congress and the erosion of the civil society. |
makopp5
said:
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... casiopeia which member of his cabinet? He does not choose the member of the congress. Isn`t it democray when the mayority of the people elect their leader? Chavez is the best help for reelecting Uribe. I have several friends which whould vote for Sergio, but thanks Chavez, the people are affraid and they want a strong leader which Uribe is. |
feliu51
said:
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... mr silva's opinions are very candid, he was fooled by Mr Uribe as the majority of uribistas were fooled by this president who lies all the time! Nobody of you knows about colombia's Presidents past. In fact he was the son of a Drug Dealer and he made drug deals with Pablo Escobar when he was Director of AEROCIVIL in Colombia the Equivalent of F.A.A. in the US, he is deeply involved with Paramilitary people and he is best friends with some of the most important parmilitary commanders...Americans dont have any idea of who Mr. Uribe really is! |
Laureles191
said:
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... @Andrewmann552 Rick is right Andrew, you gotta wake up and actually research what you're writting. In 2007, Chavez shut down RCTV Venezuela's oldest and largest TV network, based on his personal animosity to it's editorial lines. He has on numerous occasions attempted to suppress political content. Anyone like this is a dictator, plain and simple. |
