Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos told Medellín newspaper
El Colombiano that President Uribe had decided not to be available for the
2010 presidential elections, W Radio reported Friday.
According to the radio station, Santos told a group of Medellín businessmen — among them El Colombiano director Ana Mercedes Gómez Martínez — about Uribe’s decision during an informal lunch in the capital of Antioquia.
W Radio said that Uribe had allowed Santos to disclose the information just before the Head of State went to Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum.
The publication in El Colombiano led to confused reactions among supporters of the President, who had demanded he would give clarity about his aspirations for the 2010 elections the day before, because the insecurity was causing cracks in the coalition.
Even after publication, Uribe — still in Davos — did not respond to the newspaper article and continues to be completely silent about his aspirations to continue his presidency, saying he was completely focused on generating investor confidence and social cohesion in Colombia.