GOOD NEWS from Latin America: Colombia's Anti-Terror President begins second term

[El_Jibaro]

Uribe has taken a hard line against terrorism and drug trafficking

Colombia's Anti-Terror President begins second term

Bogota, Aug 7 (EFE).- Alvaro Uribe, a U.S. ally who has stepped up military operations against leftist terrorists, took office Monday for a second term enjoying high popularity and pledging to finish work begun after his first inauguration four years ago.

In his inaugural address, the 54-year-old attorney reaffirmed his "determination to achieve peace" and called on Colombia's leftist rebels to prove their own good faith with "deeds." "We are not held back by fear of negotiating peace. I confess that something else worries me: the risk of not achieving peace and of losing ground on security," Uribe said. "Peace requires sincerity." He invited Colombians to join him working "with a sense of urgency to obtain positive results, with a change of speed, with the disposition of not wasting a minute of the time that the people need." Analysts say that since taking office in 2002, Uribe has managed to restore Colombians' sense of security, and they in turn rewarded him with a landslide victory in the May 28 election.

His policy of "democratic security," backed by billions of dollars in aid from the United States, has weakened the guerrillas and obliged them to fall back to the country's inhospitable jungle regions and to seek shelter in neighboring Venezuela.

But they are not defeated yet, as was shown by the campaign of attacks and murder attempts carried out last week by insurgents of the FARC, which has battled a succession of Colombian governments since the mid-1960s.

Some 30 people died in those recent incidents, which included the explosion of two car bombs.

This capital has been turned into a fortress in recent days, with some 30,000 soldiers and police on duty to prevent a recurrence of the guerrilla attack with mortars that killed 21 people during the first swearing-in four years ago.

During the course of the day on Monday, the army discovered a vehicle carrying 200 kilos of explosives about 40 kilometers (some 25 miles) south of Bogota, and police found six grenades and two rifles in a hotel near the presidential palace.

Interior Minister Sabas Pretelt de la Vega said that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, want to "damage Colombia's international image, carrying out terrorist acts against the civilian population to display a power that they don't possess" on the occasion of Uribe's inauguration.

On hand for Monday's ceremony were Spain's Crown Prince Felipe, the presidents of Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Peru and the vice presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Uribe has made security the cornerstone of his program.

In his first term the number of kidnappings, slayings and occupation of villages greatly decreased, and it again became possible to travel by road without fear.

This more peaceful atmosphere which Colombians had not felt for three decades is accepted as a principal reason for the president's popularity, and it is assumed that he will stick to his security policy during his next four years in office.

Uribe, who was able to repeat as head of state thanks to a constitutional change authorizing immediate presidential re-election, will have a sufficient majority in Congress to push through the legal and constitutional reforms he seeks during his second term.

With regard to the economy, his first administration began under the conditions of an agreement with the International Monetary Fund signed by predecessor Andres Pastrana, a pact set to expire three months from now.

Government restructuring to eliminate or combine agencies, privatizations and changes to tax and labor laws are some of the projects that will continue into Uribe's second term.

The economy grew by 5 percent in both 2004 and 2005 more than any other Latin American nation, exports rose last year to $20 billion, inflation is down, and the revaluation of the Colombian peso forced business to boost efficiency and productivity rather than rely on a cheaper currency to make their products more competitive. On the social front, unemployment has fallen but many Socialists say that most of the new jobs are not good ones, while the chronic woes of the public health system persist to such an extent that bureaucratic red tape sometimes seems to take precedence over human life. EFE amv-gta/cd-dr

[AnotherRican]

Hey, Jib, good to see you around here since most of these folks have never known that you grew up in a Pipiolo home that was Communist and Marxist. You should kick som Leftie Booty here.

You will notice that no one cares about fighting terrorism and you will see little or no comment on your article. All they care is to blame Bush for their Bi-polar personality and for their weeds in their grass.

Originally Posted by El_Jibaro

Uribe has taken a hard line against terrorism and drug trafficking

Colombia's Anti-Terror President begins second term

Bogota, Aug 7 (EFE).- Alvaro Uribe, a U.S. ally who has stepped up military operations against leftist terrorists, took office Monday for a second term enjoying high popularity and pledging to finish work begun after his first inauguration four years ago.

In his inaugural address, the 54-year-old attorney reaffirmed his "determination to achieve peace" and called on Colombia's leftist rebels to prove their own good faith with "deeds." "We are not held back by fear of negotiating peace. I confess that something else worries me: the risk of not achieving peace and of losing ground on security," Uribe said. "Peace requires sincerity." He invited Colombians to join him working "with a sense of urgency to obtain positive results, with a change of speed, with the disposition of not wasting a minute of the time that the people need." Analysts say that since taking office in 2002, Uribe has managed to restore Colombians' sense of security, and they in turn rewarded him with a landslide victory in the May 28 election.

His policy of "democratic security," backed by billions of dollars in aid from the United States, has weakened the guerrillas and obliged them to fall back to the country's inhospitable jungle regions and to seek shelter in neighboring Venezuela.

But they are not defeated yet, as was shown by the campaign of attacks and murder attempts carried out last week by insurgents of the FARC, which has battled a succession of Colombian governments since the mid-1960s.

Some 30 people died in those recent incidents, which included the explosion of two car bombs.

This capital has been turned into a fortress in recent days, with some 30,000 soldiers and police on duty to prevent a recurrence of the guerrilla attack with mortars that killed 21 people during the first swearing-in four years ago.

During the course of the day on Monday, the army discovered a vehicle carrying 200 kilos of explosives about 40 kilometers (some 25 miles) south of Bogota, and police found six grenades and two rifles in a hotel near the presidential palace.

Interior Minister Sabas Pretelt de la Vega said that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, want to "damage Colombia's international image, carrying out terrorist acts against the civilian population to display a power that they don't possess" on the occasion of Uribe's inauguration.

On hand for Monday's ceremony were Spain's Crown Prince Felipe, the presidents of Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Peru and the vice presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Uribe has made security the cornerstone of his program.

In his first term the number of kidnappings, slayings and occupation of villages greatly decreased, and it again became possible to travel by road without fear.

This more peaceful atmosphere which Colombians had not felt for three decades is accepted as a principal reason for the president's popularity, and it is assumed that he will stick to his security policy during his next four years in office.

Uribe, who was able to repeat as head of state thanks to a constitutional change authorizing immediate presidential re-election, will have a sufficient majority in Congress to push through the legal and constitutional reforms he seeks during his second term.

With regard to the economy, his first administration began under the conditions of an agreement with the International Monetary Fund signed by predecessor Andres Pastrana, a pact set to expire three months from now.

Government restructuring to eliminate or combine agencies, privatizations and changes to tax and labor laws are some of the projects that will continue into Uribe's second term.

The economy grew by 5 percent in both 2004 and 2005 more than any other Latin American nation, exports rose last year to $20 billion, inflation is down, and the revaluation of the Colombian peso forced business to boost efficiency and productivity rather than rely on a cheaper currency to make their products more competitive. On the social front, unemployment has fallen but many Socialists say that most of the new jobs are not good ones, while the chronic woes of the public health system persist to such an extent that bureaucratic red tape sometimes seems to take precedence over human life. EFE amv-gta/cd-dr