In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, United States President Barack Obama praised former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe’s “courage” for “voluntarily leaving power.”
The U.S. president was referring to Uribe’s acceptance of a Colombian Constitutional Court ruling that he could not run for a third presidential term.
In February 2010 the court rejected a referendum to allow Uribe to stand for a third term. He won a second term in 2006 after a similar referendum was held to amend the constitution.
Obama mentioned Uribe in a speech about progress towards democracy in countries around the world.
Obama will meet with current President Juan Manuel Santos on Friday.