Presidential Re-Election in Colombia Good News for right-wing Paramilitaries

With Colombia's highest court just approving the constitutionality of a law that allows for the president’s re-election, supporters of Alvaro Uribe Velez are stepping up their campaign to give the hard-line conservative another four years in the presidential palace, saying now is not the time to change course in the country. They point to recent public opinion polls showing approval ratings of up to 78 percent for the president, and drops in the official kidnapping and murder rates nationwide since Uribe took office in 2002. In a six to three decision, Colombia’s Constitutional Court ended months of political uncertainty on October 19, ruling that the Congress was within its mandate to approve the law to allow for the re-election of the president, although it did not permit the legislature to amend the Constitution at will.

President Uribe responded favorably to the ruling, calling it "an important step for democracy," and stating his support for a similar measure that would allow for the re-election of governors and mayors. The decision opened the way for an early start to the campaign season, which will culminate with presidential elections in May 2006. Supporters and opponents of Uribe have been preparing their arguments for months.

Press reports in Colombia often credit the president’s dual strategy of negotiating a demobilization deal with right wing paramilitaries and confronting left-wing guerillas militarily with bringing security to many regions of the country. These apparent successes are welcomed in Washington, which has invested over $4 billion dollars in Colombia since 2000, mostly in the form of military and security assistance.

But not everybody is convinced that things are going so well. A growing chorus of human rights activists, opposition politicians, trade unionists, and peasant and indigenous leaders are raising their voices not only to counter Uribe and criticize his policies, but also to present alternatives in areas of development, security, and perhaps most importantly, peace.