Category Archives: Uncategorized

Colombianos went to the poles today to vote for the successor to President Uribe (the current two-term president who enjoys high domestic political ratings thanks, in part, to an aggressive approach to the FARC, Marxist guerillas who have been operating in the country since the 1960s).

With 99 percent of poll stations reporting, candidate Juan Manuel Santos (Uribe’s defense minister and the man responsible for carrying out most of the high-profile operations against the FARC during Uribe’s presidency) garnered 46.6 percent of votes.  Former Bogota mayor Antanas Mockus received 21.5 percent.  Under Colombian law (given that no candidate earned 50 percent of voters’ support), these two will face a run-off election on June 20.

Concerning domestic policy, both candidates appear likely to follow most of Uribe’s policies; however, their respective approaches to foreign affairs–and, in particular, to neighboring Venezuela and Mr. Chavez–have been different, at least in tone and in reception (with Mr. Santos bordering on the bellicose at times in the face of criticisms lodged at his candidacy by Mr. Chavez).   Though we have not studied either candidate to the extent we would like, Mr. Mockus seems to us to present the more compelling alternative, if only because he appears to be a person that would use the pen before the sword.

–Chris

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/05/30/colombia.elections/index.html