United States senator John Kerry on Thursday commended the strides the Colombian government has made to curb violence and cites the country as an example for the rest of the region.
Kerry, who has been nominated for US secretary of state, said at a senate confirmation hearing on Thursday that he hoped Washington could make progress in the Western Hemisphere with improved relations with Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador, much like the success the United States had with Colombia.
“Colombia is a model for the region. It is an example to the rest of Latin America about what awaits them if we can convince people to make better decisions,” said Kerry.
“Colombia has suffered too long due to insecurity and violence associated with armed conflict… President Santos has taken the difficult step towards finding a political solution and indicated that the lessons learned from past peace processes will be taken into account. Any negotiations to strengthen democracy, the rule of law, human rights, that leads to peace is good and deserves our support,” said the former presidential nominee.
Kerry also lauded the security efforts made by ex-president Alvaro Uribe in a critical moment of unrest in addition to president Santos’s continued efforts.