US ally and Colombian president, Alvaro Uribe has pushed legislation through both houses of congress that will allow him to ask the country for a third term in office. This is the second time the constitution has been changed to allow Uribe to seek another four years in office. Andres Oppenheimer cites, as bad omens, two examples of Latin America leaders who pushed for third terms only to see their countries endure economic and rule of law crisis: Carlos Menem of Argentina and Alberto Fujimori of Peru. Both have been under various forms of detention since leaving office and Fujimori will most likely die in the prison where he now sits.
Uribe's sky-high popularity will not last and he could very well see his effectiveness blunted during a third term if Colombians come to grips that their president is a mere mortal, unable to finish off the FARC, the paramilitaries, make peace with Venezuela and achieve a trade pact with the US all while improving the standard of living for Colombia's poor.
No comments:
Post a Comment