The Washington Post, by Juan Forero, Bogotá, Colombia, 11/08/2010, excerpt/extracto.-
The arrival of a more moderate president in Colombia has opened the possibility, if ever so slight, of talks with Marxist rebels to end a cocaine-fueled conflict that dates to the 1960s.
Although he oversaw decisive blows against Colombia's strongest rebel group as defense minister, President Juan Manuel Santos has expressed a willingness to negotiate with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, to end Latin America's only armed conflict. "The door to talks is not locked," Santos said Saturday in his inaugural speech.
Carlos Lozano, editor of the communist weekly Voz, said Santos's comments suggest that Colombia's new government is open to considering negotiations. "That is important, particularly because his predecessor had practically closed the possibility, and his policy was to expand the war," Lozano said, referring to Álvaro Uribe, who stepped down after eight years in office.
Latin American leaders, some of whom were hostile to Uribe and his security policies, have expressed interest in helping Colombia forge a peace pact with the FARC, a group of 8,000 fighters that has weakened in recent years amid a U.S.-backed military offensive but remains resilient in the hinterlands.
Among those leaders is Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa, who broke off relations with Uribe in 2008 after Colombia bombed a rebel camp inside Ecuador. This weekend, in an interview with Colombia's Caracol television, Correa said he could play a role in future talks with the rebels. "That struggle does not make any sense anymore," Correa said of the FARC's tactics.
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta J.M. Santos. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta J.M. Santos. Mostrar todas las entradas
miércoles, agosto 11, 2010
Leaders Repair Colombia-Venezuela Ties - by Simon Romero - The New York Times
New York Times, by Simon Romero, Lima, 10/08/2010, excerpt/extracto.-
Colombia’s new president, Juan Manuel Santos, and his Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chávez, moved on Tuesday to repair diplomatic relations after ties had sharply deteriorated in recent weeks over assertions by Colombia’s government that Colombian guerrillas were operating from Venezuelan soil. Their meeting in Santa Marta, a city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, represented an unexpected reconciliation between the men, who are on opposite ends of the ideological spectrum. They had often traded insults with each other before Mr. Santos was elected president in June. On Tuesday, both men adopted a different tone, in recognition of the damage to the economies of both countries caused by the escalating tension. Trade between Colombia and Venezuela plunged more than 30 percent in 2009 from the previous year, after Venezuela imposed restrictions on Colombian imports. The meeting’s modest results included an agreement to send ambassadors to each other’s capitals, improve military patrols along their border and determine how Venezuela would pay about $800 million in debts to Colombian companies.
Colombia’s new president, Juan Manuel Santos, and his Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chávez, moved on Tuesday to repair diplomatic relations after ties had sharply deteriorated in recent weeks over assertions by Colombia’s government that Colombian guerrillas were operating from Venezuelan soil. Their meeting in Santa Marta, a city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, represented an unexpected reconciliation between the men, who are on opposite ends of the ideological spectrum. They had often traded insults with each other before Mr. Santos was elected president in June. On Tuesday, both men adopted a different tone, in recognition of the damage to the economies of both countries caused by the escalating tension. Trade between Colombia and Venezuela plunged more than 30 percent in 2009 from the previous year, after Venezuela imposed restrictions on Colombian imports. The meeting’s modest results included an agreement to send ambassadors to each other’s capitals, improve military patrols along their border and determine how Venezuela would pay about $800 million in debts to Colombian companies.
lunes, junio 21, 2010
Colombia: Primeras decisiones del presidente Santos; el nuevo mandatario comenzó empalme - El Tiempo
ELTIEMPO.COM, 21/06/2010, extracto.-
El presidente electo, Juan Manuel Santos, divulgó sus primeras acciones de gobierno: nombró a Juan Carlos Echeverry como ministro de Hacienda y a Juan Carlos Mira como secretario privado de la Presidencia.
Contó que el presidente de Ecuador, Rafael Correa, lo llamó para felicitarlo.
En la primera conferencia de prensa que ofreció como mandatario electo, Santos se refirió a temas como las relaciones con los países vecinos, el manejo de la economía y los desplazados, entre otros.
Su cita con los presidentes de las Cortes, será mañana.'Hablé con cada uno de ellos y con el coordinador del llamado Comité Interinstitucional, y quedamos que a las 11 de la mañana del miércoles les haré una visita protocolaria'.
Dijo que junto a su equipo programático realizó estudios sobre las proyección fiscales y de crecimiento para los próximos cuatro años y que no aumentará las tarifas del impuesto de renta ni del IVA.
El presidente electo, Juan Manuel Santos, divulgó sus primeras acciones de gobierno: nombró a Juan Carlos Echeverry como ministro de Hacienda y a Juan Carlos Mira como secretario privado de la Presidencia.
Contó que el presidente de Ecuador, Rafael Correa, lo llamó para felicitarlo.
En la primera conferencia de prensa que ofreció como mandatario electo, Santos se refirió a temas como las relaciones con los países vecinos, el manejo de la economía y los desplazados, entre otros.
Su cita con los presidentes de las Cortes, será mañana.'Hablé con cada uno de ellos y con el coordinador del llamado Comité Interinstitucional, y quedamos que a las 11 de la mañana del miércoles les haré una visita protocolaria'.
Dijo que junto a su equipo programático realizó estudios sobre las proyección fiscales y de crecimiento para los próximos cuatro años y que no aumentará las tarifas del impuesto de renta ni del IVA.
domingo, junio 20, 2010
Colombia president: Juan Manuel Santos wins election - Los Angeles times
latimes.com, by Chris Kraul, reporting from Bogotá, 21/06/2010, extracto/excerpt.-
Juan Manuel Santos, a former defense minister and scion of a publishing family, swept to victory Sunday in Colombia's presidential election with a pledge to continue his predecessor's get-tough policies against crime and insurgency.
Santos, 58, easily bested his challenger, former Bogota Mayor Antanas Mockus. With 99% of votes counted, Santos had garnered 69% of the votes in the runoff election to his challenger's 27%. He will be inaugurated on Aug. 7.
Santos, who also outpolled Mockus in last month's first-round election, had been heavily favored to win after he had gained the backing of several major political factions, including third-place finisher German Vargas Lleras. To top it off, the Colombian military recently rescued four armed forces hostages long held by leftist guerrillas, an event seen as boosting Santos' bid.
Meanwhile, Mockus, also 58, fared poorly in the final presidential debate and failed to forge an alliance with the Democratic Pole, Colombia's largest opposition party.
'Security is still an issue here and Santos was able to sell himself as the clearest representative of [current President Alvaro] Uribe and his legacy,' said Marcela Prieto, director of the Political Science Institute of Colombia. 'Mockus was not able to elevate his campaign appeal as he had to do. He made mistake after mistake.'
Santos is expected to continue Uribe's good relations with the United States, which regards Colombia's current leader as its chief Latin American ally and which over the last decade has delivered more than $6 billion in military and development aid to help the country fight drugs and terrorism.
In a victory speech at an indoor sports arena here, Santos said his win was an affirmation of Uribe's 'democratic security' policies, extended an invitation to Mockus to work together and expressed thanks for his 9 million votes. 'Despite torrential rains throughout the country, and [World Cup] soccer matches, we received a quantity of votes never seen in the history of the nation,' Santos told supporters.
The victory culminates lifelong presidential ambitions for Santos, who previously had served in ministerial positions under three presidents but never stood for election. After Uribe in February finally was barred from running for a third term by a court decision, Santos quickly emerged as the leader of the Uribista coalition of parties. His great uncle Eduardo also served as president and founded the newspaper El Tiempo, the country's most important.
Colombia's usually low voter turnout, exacerbated by poor Sunday morning weather in the capital, Bogota, and two key televised World Cup soccer matches, didn't help Mockus to pull off a surprise.
Juan Manuel Santos, a former defense minister and scion of a publishing family, swept to victory Sunday in Colombia's presidential election with a pledge to continue his predecessor's get-tough policies against crime and insurgency.
Santos, 58, easily bested his challenger, former Bogota Mayor Antanas Mockus. With 99% of votes counted, Santos had garnered 69% of the votes in the runoff election to his challenger's 27%. He will be inaugurated on Aug. 7.
Santos, who also outpolled Mockus in last month's first-round election, had been heavily favored to win after he had gained the backing of several major political factions, including third-place finisher German Vargas Lleras. To top it off, the Colombian military recently rescued four armed forces hostages long held by leftist guerrillas, an event seen as boosting Santos' bid.
Meanwhile, Mockus, also 58, fared poorly in the final presidential debate and failed to forge an alliance with the Democratic Pole, Colombia's largest opposition party.
'Security is still an issue here and Santos was able to sell himself as the clearest representative of [current President Alvaro] Uribe and his legacy,' said Marcela Prieto, director of the Political Science Institute of Colombia. 'Mockus was not able to elevate his campaign appeal as he had to do. He made mistake after mistake.'
Santos is expected to continue Uribe's good relations with the United States, which regards Colombia's current leader as its chief Latin American ally and which over the last decade has delivered more than $6 billion in military and development aid to help the country fight drugs and terrorism.
In a victory speech at an indoor sports arena here, Santos said his win was an affirmation of Uribe's 'democratic security' policies, extended an invitation to Mockus to work together and expressed thanks for his 9 million votes. 'Despite torrential rains throughout the country, and [World Cup] soccer matches, we received a quantity of votes never seen in the history of the nation,' Santos told supporters.
The victory culminates lifelong presidential ambitions for Santos, who previously had served in ministerial positions under three presidents but never stood for election. After Uribe in February finally was barred from running for a third term by a court decision, Santos quickly emerged as the leader of the Uribista coalition of parties. His great uncle Eduardo also served as president and founded the newspaper El Tiempo, the country's most important.
Colombia's usually low voter turnout, exacerbated by poor Sunday morning weather in the capital, Bogota, and two key televised World Cup soccer matches, didn't help Mockus to pull off a surprise.
Santos Wins Colombia Runoff Election - NYTimes.com
NYTimes.com, Bogotá, AP, 20/06/2010 08:55 ET, extracto/excerpt.-
A former defense minister from a powerful political clan who oversaw a major weakening of leftist rebels won Colombia's presidency Sunday, routing an eccentric outsider in a runoff.
The victory for Juan Manuel Santos, a 58-year-old economist and three-time government minister, was a ringing endorsement of outgoing conservative President Alvaro Uribe, whose U.S.-backed security policies he helped craft and promised to continue.
A former defense minister from a powerful political clan who oversaw a major weakening of leftist rebels won Colombia's presidency Sunday, routing an eccentric outsider in a runoff.
The victory for Juan Manuel Santos, a 58-year-old economist and three-time government minister, was a ringing endorsement of outgoing conservative President Alvaro Uribe, whose U.S.-backed security policies he helped craft and promised to continue.
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