NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Álvaro Uribe Vélez

Álvaro Uribe Vélez (born July 4 is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 180 days remaining. July Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20... July 4, Years: 1949 1950 1951 - 1952 - 1953 1954 1955 Decades: 1920s 1930s 1940s - 1950s - 1960s 1970s 1980s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1952 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and technology Aviation - Rail transport - Science - Television Other topics Canada - Sport Lists of leaders: State leaders - Religious... 1952) is the President of For other uses see Note: The similar sounding country uses a different spelling--see Colombia. Columbia is a name used in the English language for many things and places. The name is derived from that of Christopher Columbus. The term Pre-Columbian is used for American cultures before the arrival... Colombia (since 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. It was designated: International Year of Ecotourism and United Kingdom Autism Awareness Year in the United Kingdom Years: 1999 2000 2001 - 2002 - 2003 2004 2005 Decades: 1970s 1980s 1990s - 2000s - 2010s 2020s 2030s Centuries: 20th century - 21st century... 2002). He is a For information on the type of fish called Lawyer, see the article on Burbot. A lawyer or attorney at law is a person licensed by the state to advise clients in legal matters and represent them in courts of law (and in other forms of dispute resolution). Most countries today... lawyer from the University of Antioquia, with a specialization in Administration and Management from This article is about the institution of higher learning in the United States. For other uses of the name Harvard, see Harvard (disambiguation). Harvard University Motto Veritas (Truth) Established September 8, 1636 School type Private President Lawrence H. Summers Location Cambridge, Mass., USA Campus Urban Enrollment 6,650 undergraduate, 13... Harvard University. He is married to Lina Moreno de Uribe and has two sons, Tomás and Jerónimo.

Early life and education

Álvaro Uribe is the first of five children born to Alberto Uribe Sierra and Laura Vélez. His mother had served as councilwoman and his father was a wealthy landowner and cattle rancher. Uribe Sierra was a personal friend and show-horse breeder colleague of the Ochoa family, some of whose members would later be involved in the drug trade.

At the age of ten, his family moved to Medellín from their Salgar ranch. He studied in schools managed by The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu), commonly known as the Jesuits, is a Roman Catholic religious order. It was founded in 1534 by a group of University of Paris graduate students led by Iñigo López de Loyola (Ignatius of Loyola). Contents // 1 Foundation 2 Early works 3... Jesuits and The longest lasting of the western Catholic monastic orders, the Benedictine Order traces its origins to the adoption of the monastic life by St. Benedict of Nursia (Norcia) in 529. Benedict, founder of the monastery of Monte Cassino between Naples and Rome, wrote a Rule or plan of life for... Benedictines. He was a 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. Years: 1967 1968 1969 - 1970 - 1971 1972 1973 Decades: 1940s 1950s 1960s - 1970s - 1980s 1990s 2000s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1970 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and technology Aviation - Rail transport - Science - Television Other topics... 1970 graduate of the prestigious Jorge Robledo Institute, where his academic performance allowed him to be exempt from all final exams during the last two years of school.

Uribe later studied at the University of Antioquia, where he earned his law degree in For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). Years: 1974 1975 1976 - 1977 - 1978 1979 1980 Decades: 1940s 1950s 1960s - 1970s - 1980s 1990s 2000s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1977 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and technology Aviation - Rail transport - Science - Television Other topics... 1977, and where had become a member of the Politics of Colombia Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | Colombian political parties | Liberal parties ... Colombian Liberal Party's "Liberal Youth" wing. He was awarded a Note: The term scholarship can mean either the methods employed by scholars (see scholarly method) or an award of access to an institution and/or money for an individual for the purposes of furthering their education. This article is about the latter meaning. A scholarship is an award of access... scholarship for excellence during his time at university.

In 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003) Years: 1990 1991 1992 - 1993 - 1994 1995 1996 Decades: 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st... 1993 he finished a specialization in Administration and Management at This article is about the institution of higher learning in the United States. For other uses of the name Harvard, see Harvard (disambiguation). Harvard University Motto Veritas (Truth) Established September 8, 1636 School type Private President Lawrence H. Summers Location Cambridge, Mass., USA Campus Urban Enrollment 6,650 undergraduate, 13... Harvard University, where he also attended a conflict negotiation course.

From 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. Years: 1995 1996 1997 - 1998 - 1999 2000 2001 Decades: 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1998 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art... 1998 to This page is about the year 2000. See Note: This is an article about the British comic book 2000 AD, rather than the year 2000 2000 AD logo 2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction oriented comic. The publication, which serialises a number of separate stories each prog (see... 2000 he was a senior associate member at the Saint Anthony's College of Oxford University in England (In detail) (In detail) Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Official language None; English is de facto Capital London Capitals coordinates 51° 30 N, 0° 10 W Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (2001... England, on a The British Council is a partly UK Government_funded cultural relations organisation and a registered charity in the UK. It aims to build mutually beneficial cultural and educational relationships between people in the UK and in other countries, and increase appreciation of the UKs creative ideas and achievements. Its overseas... British Council Simón Bolívar scholarship.

Political life

In 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). Years: 1973 1974 1975 - 1976 - 1977 1978 1979 Decades: 1940s 1950s 1960s - 1970s - 1980s 1990s 2000s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1976 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and technology Aviation... 1976 Uribe was Chief of assets for the Public Enterprises of Medellín (Empresas Públicas de Medellín). Under the presidency of Alfonso López Michelsen, he served as Secretary General of the Ministry of Labor from For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). Years: 1974 1975 1976 - 1977 - 1978 1979 1980 Decades: 1940s 1950s 1960s - 1970s - 1980s 1990s 2000s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1977 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and technology Aviation - Rail transport - Science - Television Other topics... 1977 to Years: 1975 1976 1977 - 1978 - 1979 1980 1981 Decades: 1940s 1950s 1960s - 1970s - 1980s 1990s 2000s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1978 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and technology Aviation - Rail transport - Science - Television Other topics Canada - Sport Lists of leaders: State leaders - Religious... 1978. He married during this time.

President Julio César Turbay Ayala named him director of Civil Aviation from 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. Years: 1977 1978 1979 - 1980 - 1981 1982 1983 Decades: 1950s 1960s 1970s - 1980s - 1990s 2000s 2010s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1980 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and technology Aviation - Rail transport - Science - Television Other topics... 1980 to 1982 is a number and represents a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar Years: 1979 1980 1981 - 1982 - 1983 1984 1985 Decades: 1950s 1960s 1970s - 1980s - 1990s 2000s 2010s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1982 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and... 1982.

He left this position to become A mayor (Latin maīor better) is the politician who serves as chief executive official of some types of municipalities. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs as to the powers and responsibilities of a mayor, as well as the means of becoming mayor. The... Mayor of Medellín in 1982 is a number and represents a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar Years: 1979 1980 1981 - 1982 - 1983 1984 1985 Decades: 1950s 1960s 1970s - 1980s - 1990s 2000s 2010s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1982 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and... 1982, a post he held for five months, during which he promoted several public works. He was later relieved of his position.

Critics consider that this was due to Uribe's alleged support for at least two public works (a massive housing project for the Medellín's poor and a reforestation campaign) that were inaugurated by Pablo Escobar Gaviria, at a time when the drug lord was attempting to buy public sympathy.

Uribe's father, was assassinated by the The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – Peoples Army, or FARC-EP) was established in 1964 as the paramilitary wing of the Colombian Communist Party, and is Colombias oldest, largest, most capable, and best-equipped insurgent force. The... FARC guerrilla during a 1983 is an integer and composite number that represents a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. Years: 1980 1981 1982 - 1983 - 1984 1985 1986 Decades: 1950s 1960s 1970s - 1980s - 1990s 2000s 2010s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1983 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature... 1983 kidnapping attempt. After his death, Álvaro Uribe got rid of most of what were now his rural properties and concentrated on his political career as a member of the Politics of Colombia Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | Colombian political parties | Liberal parties ... Colombian Liberal Party.

He subsequently served as councilman for the city between This page is about the year 1984. For other uses of 1984, see 1984 (disambiguation). 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Years: 1981 1982 1983 - 1984 - 1985 1986 1987 Decades: 1950s 1960s 1970s - 1980s - 1990s 2000s 2010s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century... 1984 and 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Years: 1983 1984 1985 - 1986 - 1987 1988 1989 Decades: 1950s 1960s 1970s - 1980s - 1990s 2000s 2010s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1986 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and technology Aviation - Rail transport... 1986.

Senator for Antioquia

Uribe was elected as one of Antioquia's A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. The word senate is derived from the Latin word senex (old man), via the Latin word senatus (senate). The Latin word senator has been adopted by English with no change in spelling. Its meaning comes... senators between 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Years: 1983 1984 1985 - 1986 - 1987 1988 1989 Decades: 1950s 1960s 1970s - 1980s - 1990s 2000s 2010s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1986 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and technology Aviation - Rail transport... 1986 and 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. Years: 1987 1988 1989 - 1990 - 1991 1992 1993 Decades: 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1990 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and technology Aviation - Rail transport... 1990, and once again between 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. Years: 1987 1988 1989 - 1990 - 1991 1992 1993 Decades: 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1990 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and technology Aviation - Rail transport... 1990 and 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. Years: 1991 1992 1993 - 1994 - 1995 1996 1997 Decades: 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1994 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art... 1994.

As senator he served as president of the Seventh Commission and he supported laws that dealt with: pension reform, labor reform, promotion of the administrative career, democratic financing of The striker (wearing red jersey) has run past the defender (in white jersey) and is about to take a shot at the goal, while the goalkeeper positions himself to stop the ball. Football is the most widely played and watched team sport in the world. The game is often known... soccer clubs, Social security mainly refers to a field of social welfare concerned with social protection, or protection against socially recognised needs. The term can be used to refer to social insurance, where people receive benefits or services in recognition of contributions to an insurance scheme. These services typically include provision for... social security reform, promotion of cooperative banking, creation of a benefits fund for teachers, production of black sugar, and protection for women as heads of the family.

Some of the legislation has been later criticized, in particular Law 50 of 1990 and Law 100 of 1993, which allowed for increased flexibilization of the labor market and the privatization and massification of social security. Many later observers have considered these laws as either insufficient or as ultimately counterproductive for the labor and health markets in Colombia, and further reform attempts have been necessary.

During his later term he received official and unofficial awards that considered him as one of the "best senators" ( 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. Years: 1987 1988 1989 - 1990 - 1991 1992 1993 Decades: 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1990 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and technology Aviation - Rail transport... 1990, 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Years: 1989 1990 1991 - 1992 - 1993 1994 1995 Decades: 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1992 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and technology Aviation - Rail transport... 1992 and 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003) Years: 1990 1991 1992 - 1993 - 1994 1995 1996 Decades: 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st... 1993) and as the senator with the "best legislative initiatives" ( 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Years: 1989 1990 1991 - 1992 - 1993 1994 1995 Decades: 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1992 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and technology Aviation - Rail transport... 1992).

Governor of Antioquia

He was elected A governor is an official who heads the government of a colony, state or other sub-national state unit. Most countries in the world have some sort of official known as a governor, though in some countries, the heads of the states, provinces and regions may have a different title... governor of the department of Antioquia for the 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. It was the first year of the International Decade of the Worlds Indigenous People (1995-2005): http://www.unesco.org/culture/indigenous/ Years: 1992 1993 1994 - 1995 - 1996 1997 1998 Decades: 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s... 1995 to 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Reef. Years: 1994 1995 1996 - 1997 - 1998 1999 2000 Decades: 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1997 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art... 1997 term.

During his term, Uribe put in practice what he termed as the model for a Communitarianism as a philosophy began in the late 20th century, opposing aspects of liberalism and capitalism while advocating phenomena such as civil society. Not necessarily hostile to liberalism in the contemporary American sense of the word, communitarianism rather has a different emphasis, shifting the focus of interest toward communities and... communitarian state, which would theoretically consist of an active citizen participation in the administration's decision making process. It was claimed that this model would be useful to generate improvements in employment, education, administrative transparency and public security.

The results of his governorship would include, according to statistics provided by the governor's office and contemporary analysts, a 34% reduction of the department's In sociological theories, bureaucracy is an organizational structure characterized by regularized procedure, division of responsibility, hierarchy, and impersonal relationships. The term can characterize either governmental or nongovernmental organizations. In modern usage, bureaucracy often equates with inefficiency, laziness, and waste. It is oftentimes characterized in the popular imagination as existing solely... bureaucracy and 35% of the vehicles in official use. 102.000 new school slots were created by contracting private schools and 40.000 people were trained in peaceful conflict negotiation. It is claimed that 1.200.000 poor people entered into the subsidized health system, that 939 km of roads were paved (which would allegedly be more than half of the total road distance paved in Antioquia to that date), that available telephone lines were also doubled and an increasing number of school scholarships were awarded. He is also credited with a 60% reduction in kidnappings, providing safety to the roads connecting Medellín and the capital of Bogota is also a city in State of New Jersey (Flag of New Jersey) (Seal of New Jersey) State nickname: The Garden State Other U.S. States Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Governor Richard Codey Official languages None defined Area 22,608 kmÂ² (47th) - Land 19,231... Bogotá and with slashing numerous expenses that allowed for administrative savings.

In his jurisdiction, governor Uribe openly supported a national program of cooperative neighborhood watch groups that become known as CONVIVIR, which had been created by a February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 323 days remaining, 324 in leap years. February Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19... February 11, 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. Years: 1991 1992 1993 - 1994 - 1995 1996 1997 Decades: 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1994 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art... 1994 decree of Colombia's Ministry of Defense. The CONVIVIR groups quickly became controversial.

Reports argued that some achieved results in providing security to communities and intelligence coordination to military forces, but apparently numerous members committed abuses against civilians, without a serious oversight over their operations and organization. In 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. Years: 1995 1996 1997 - 1998 - 1999 2000 2001 Decades: 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1998 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art... 1998, Human Rights Watch is an international NGO based in New York City, USA, that works with human rights issues. The organization was started under the name Helsinki Watch in 1978 to monitor the Soviet Unions compliance with the Helsinki Accords. Other watch organizations were started to cover other parts... Human Rights Watch stated that "we have received credible information that indicated that the CONVIVIR groups of the Middle Magdalena and of the southern Cesar regions were directed by known paramilitaries and had threatened to assassinate Colombians that were considered as guerrilla sympathizers or which rejected joining the cooperative groups". [1] (http://www.hrw.org/spanish/inf_anual/1998/colombia.html)

After much political debate, a November is also the letter N in the NATO phonetic alphabet. November Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30... November 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Reef. Years: 1994 1995 1996 - 1997 - 1998 1999 2000 Decades: 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1997 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art... 1997 decision of Colombia's Constitutional Court stated that CONVIVIR members could not gather intelligence information and could not employ military grade weapons. Other restrictions included increasing legal supervision, and in early 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. Years: 1995 1996 1997 - 1998 - 1999 2000 2001 Decades: 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1998 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art... 1998 dozens of former CONVIVIR groups had their licenses revoked, because they did not turn in their weapons and withheld information about their personnel. Due to these measures, some gradually turned in their weapons and phased themselves out. 237 of the restricted weapons were returned to authorities by the end of 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Reef. Years: 1994 1995 1996 - 1997 - 1998 1999 2000 Decades: 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1997 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art... 1997. Other members did not comply and later joined paramilitary groups such as the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia) or AUC is a terrorist umbrella organization formed in April 1997 to consolidate most local and regional Colombia, each with the mission to protect economic interests and combat insurgents locally. AUC itself estimates that they have authority over about 90... AUC. [2] (http://www.hrw.org/spanish/informes/1998/guerra3C.html)

2002 presidential elections

After four years of failed attempts by the previous administration, under Andrés Pastrana to negotiate a ceasefire amid decreasing public support for the peace process and the guerrillas, electoral analysts considered that public mood had shifted.

Until at least a year before the election, polls showed that no more than 2% of the electorate contemplated voting for Álvaro Uribe and in fact the Liberal Party's Horacio Serpa was the probable winner, but this trend began to change as the peace process degenerated, resulting in the perception of Uribe as the candidate that could potentially provide a viable security program in order to face the country's insurgencies. Former General Harold Bedoya Pizarro, a candidate with a superficially similar program, remained marginalized.

Uribe's electoral platform was centered around the policy of confronting Colombia's main History of warfare Eras Prehistoric warfare Ancient warfare Medieval warfare Early modern warfare Modern warfare Types Naval warfare Siege warfare Trench warfare Guerrilla warfare Aerial warfare Nuclear warfare Lists List of wars List of battles List of sieges Guerrilla (also called a partisan) is a term borrowed from Spanish (from... guerrilla movement, the The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – Peoples Army, or FARC-EP) was established in 1964 as the paramilitary wing of the Colombian Communist Party, and is Colombias oldest, largest, most capable, and best-equipped insurgent force. The... FARC. Other relevant ropositions included slashing the national administration's expenses, fighting corruption and proposing a national referendum to resolve several of the country's political and economical concerns.

Running as an independent liberal candidate (having unofficially separated himself from his former party), he was elected List of Heads of State (Presidents etc.) of the Republic of Colombia and its precursor states Unless otherwise stated, the incumbent is President Contents // 1 The Republic of Greater Colombia 2 Republic of New Granada 3 The Granadine Confederation 4 The United States of Colombia 5 Republic of Colombia 6... President of Colombia in the first round of the May 26 is the 146th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (147th in leap years). There are 219 days remaining before the end of the year. May Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14... 26 May 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. It was designated: International Year of Ecotourism and United Kingdom Autism Awareness Year in the United Kingdom Years: 1999 2000 2001 - 2002 - 2003 2004 2005 Decades: 1970s 1980s 1990s - 2000s - 2010s 2020s 2030s Centuries: 20th century - 21st century... 2002 elections with 53% of the popular vote. His running mate was Francisco Santos Calderón, a member of the Santos family that had a longlasting tradition as members of the Politics of Colombia Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | Colombian political parties | Liberal parties ... Colombian Liberal Party and as owners of Colombian daily 'El Tiempo'.

Electoral observers present considered the presidential elections to be mostly free of foul play at the national level, but instances of active intimidation towards the voting population and the candidates did occur, due to the actions of guerrilla and paramilitary groups. Voter participation in the election was of 47% of the potential electorate, down from the previous round of voting. [3] (http://www.electionworld.org/colombia.htm)

Some of Uribe's opponents made accusations during his campaign, especially in a speech by Horacio Serpa and in a book published by Newsweek's Joseph Contreras, who interviewed Uribe that same year. Claims in particular centered on past instances of Uribe's alleged personal relationships with members of the The Medellín Cartel was a well-organized network of drug smugglers that operated in the city of Medellín in Colombia through the 1970s and 1980s. It was built and run by Pablo Escobar. The cartel lost much of its consolidated power and influence after the death or capture... Medellin Cartel and the sympathy that some paramilitary spokesmen publicly expressed towards Uribe as a candidate. These accusations were denied or undermined by Uribe and his supporters and critics have not committed to any legal action regarding the charges.

2002-2006 presidency

As president, polls (usually based on a random sample of income-classified telephone numbers) have consistently shown what would be an unprecedented level of support by many Colombians (estimated at around 70% after his second year in office).[4] (http://semana.terra.com.co/opencms/opencms/Semana/articulo.html?id=82687)

Uribe's relative popularity, concentrated among the medium and higher income sectors of society, is largely considered to be due to his administration's relatively successful campaigns against the FARC and the ELN, and in part to the efforts made to begin demobilizing the paramilitaries ( Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia) or AUC is a terrorist umbrella organization formed in April 1997 to consolidate most local and regional Colombia, each with the mission to protect economic interests and combat insurgents locally. AUC itself estimates that they have authority over about 90... AUC). Another aspect of this phenomenon that has been pointed out by analysts concerns the generalized perception of Uribe as a The word charisma (from the Greek word charis) or gift, is often used in this form to describe an ability to charm or influence people. Charisma has been credited with helping some politicians, especially those with vague platforms and populist ambitions, to achieve electoral success. The word is also used... charismatic 24-hour A workaholic is a person addicted to work. This addiction may be pleasurable to the victim or it may be burdensome and troubling. The term is often used inaccurately to describe an energetic person who devotes a lot of time to work even though that person has good relations with... workaholic and as a promoter of personal and administrative Austerity is a term from economics that describes a policy where nations reduce living standards, curtail development projects, and generally shift the revenue stream out of the physical economy, in order to satisfy the demands of creditors. Typically, private banks, or institutions like the International Monetary Fund (I.M.F... austerity, which has been interpreted by some as a rolemodel for other Colombians and politicians.

Uribe and members of his cabinet travel outside of Bogotá during the weekends and, as part of the Communitarianism as a philosophy began in the late 20th century, opposing aspects of liberalism and capitalism while advocating phenomena such as civil society. Not necessarily hostile to liberalism in the contemporary American sense of the word, communitarianism rather has a different emphasis, shifting the focus of interest toward communities and... communitarian state model that he has implemented, organize weekly communitarian councils in every department, including remote regions of the national territory. These sessions are televised live through national television on one of the state's public channels for several hours. The stated objective of these councils is to promote citizen participation and exchange direct feedback with local authorities, publicly hearing and discussing their different concerns.

It is widely thought among his supporters that these councils have contributed to varying degrees of advancement in the resolution of local issues by simplifying "red tape" and are credited with keeping Uribe's popularity levels, reinforcing his image of a hardworking, plain-speaking politician. His sympathizers consider he has achieved significant results in the fight against illegal armed groups, that his efforts have allowed civilian traffic to return to many Colombian roads that had been abandoned during the 1990s, and that he has tried to implement macroeconomic measures that would stimulate internal commerce, growth and reduce unemployment.

Many of his opponents consider that Uribe's popularity might be overestimated and tend to believe that most polls underrepresent the opinions of poor rural and urban voters without access to telephone lines or other standard polling methods, voters which would allegedly be somewhat less supportive of his administration. Some believe that Uribe has not done enough to address Colombia's problems or has contributed to them, and that the security and human rights situations still remain considerably fragile. A number of critics also consider that Uribe's use of his charisma during the councils is a form of Populism is a political ideology or rhetorical style that holds that the common person is oppressed by the elite in society, which exists only to serve its own interests, and therefore, the instruments of the State need to be grasped from this self-serving elite and instead used for the... populism, and might lead to lapses into The term authoritarianism is used to describe an organization or a state which enforces strong and sometimes oppressive measures against the population. It is distinguished from totalitarianism both by degree and scope, authoritarian administration or governance being less intrusive and in the case of groups not necessarily backed by the... authoritarianism on his part, though he has never done anything that violates the country's constitutional and legal order.

Security policy

Uribe's declared priority has been to contain or defeat the three main armed groups in Colombia, the AUC, ELN, and FARC, and military operations launched against all three groups have increased in intensity since he took office, especially against FARC. In November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. November Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20... November 7, -1... 2004, Colombian military intelligence intercepted a message from FARC leaders calling for all its guerilla units to try to assassinate him.

Uribe has stated that the government must first show military superiority in order to eventually make the guerrillas return to the negotiating table with a more flexible position, even if this would only happen after his term in office expired. He has been quoted as saying that Colombia's main concerns at the moment are the challenges of terrorism and the narcotics trade[5] (http://www.presidencia.gov.co/cne/2003/agosto/22/17222003.htm) and "Of course we need to eliminate social injustice in Colombia but what is first? Peace". [6] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4021213.stm)

His security program is based on the application of what has been termed as a policy of "democratic security", with the defined objectives of:

[7] (http://www.colombiaemb.org/opencms/opencms/defense/) [8] (http://www.mindefensa.gov.co/politica/politica.html)

In early 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. It was designated: International Year of Ecotourism and United Kingdom Autism Awareness Year in the United Kingdom Years: 1999 2000 2001 - 2002 - 2003 2004 2005 Decades: 1970s 1980s 1990s - 2000s - 2010s 2020s 2030s Centuries: 20th century - 21st century... 2002, Uribe's administration decreed a one-time tax of 1.2% of the liquid assets of the higher income Colombians and corporations, with the goal of raising US $800 million, of which in excess of $650 million was collected before the final payment quota was made, surpassing original expectations. Another goal is to increase defense expenditures from a current level of about 3.6% of GDP to 6% of GDP by 2006. [9] (http://www.colombiaemb.org/opencms/opencms/defense/)

This policy has been considered controversial inside and outside of Colombia, including by Uribe's political opponents and by some This article does not adequately cite its sources and may contain unverified information or original research. Please help Wikipedia by adding references or removing unreferenced material. See the talk page for details. Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. They are necessary... human rights organizations, because it allegedly provides an exclusively military perspective to the situation and places the civilian population at risk, increasing the dangers of abuses both by military forces, the paramilitaries and the guerrilla insurgents. [10] (http://www.humanrightswatch.org/doc?t=americas&c=colomb) [11] (http://www.wola.org/Colombia/hr_secmeasures.htm)

According to official government statistical information from See August (album) for the album by Eric Clapton. August Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 ... August -1... 2004, in two years, homicides, kidnappings, and terrorist attacks in Colombia decreased by as much as 50% - their lowest levels in almost twenty years. In 2003, there were 7,000 fewer homicides than in 2002 - a decrease of 27%. By April Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 2005 April is the fourth month of the year in... April -1... 2004, the government had established a permanent police or military presence in every Colombian municipality for the first time in decades. [12] (http://www.presidencia.gov.co/Ingles/columns/august/column2.htm)

The Colombian Embassy in Washington states that, as a result of this policy, the Colombian armed forces would now have: "60% more combat ready soldiers than four years ago; Helicopters which have significantly improved the mobility of Armed Forces throughout the national territory; Attack helicopters ensuring means to be more aggressive in the fight against FARC and AUC; Increased basic combat supplies, including rifles and ammunition; and [has received] significant less human rights complaints against them." [13] (http://www.colombiaemb.org/opencms/opencms/defense/)

Many analysts tend to accept that there have been some factual improvements in the areas of security (for the most part) and human rights (to a lesser degree), but they also question the exact validity and application of some of the statements, pointing out serious problems, in particular (but not only) paramilitary related, which remain a source of grave concern.

In January Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 2005 January is the first month of the year in... January Years: 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 | 2005 (MMV) | 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Decades: 1970s 1980s 1990s - 2000s - 2010s 2020s 2030s Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century News by month: Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec 2005 in topic: Arts Architecture... 2005, Human Rights Watch is an international NGO based in New York City, USA, that works with human rights issues. The organization was started under the name Helsinki Watch in 1978 to monitor the Soviet Unions compliance with the Helsinki Accords. Other watch organizations were started to cover other parts... Human Rights Watch expressed the policy's apparent inability to adequately address the following issues: "Paramilitary groups maintain close ties with a number of Colombian military units. The Uribe administration has yet to take effective action to break these ties by investigating and prosecuting high-ranking members of the armed forces credibly alleged to have collaborated with paramilitary groups. Credible reports indicate that some of the territories from which the military has ejected the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolutionarias de Colombia, FARC) are now under the control of paramilitary groups, which continue to carry out indiscriminate attacks on the civilian population." [14] (http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/01/13/colomb9847.htm)

A February Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 2005 February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian... February Years: 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 | 2005 (MMV) | 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Decades: 1970s 1980s 1990s - 2000s - 2010s 2020s 2030s Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century News by month: Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec 2005 in topic: Arts Architecture... 2005 report from the This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) United Nations Nations Unies Naciones Unidas Объединённых Наций 联合国 امم متحدة (In... United Nations's The purpose of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights involves the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide through direct contact with individual governments and the provision of technical assistance where appropriate. At the urging of the U.S. and other nations, the UN General... High Commissioner for Human Rights on the year -1... 2004 stated: "Achievements and advances were observed in the field of human rights and international humanitarian law; however, there were also difficulties and contradictions...Progress was recorded in terms of prevention and protection, including strengthening of the mechanism of community defenders and the early warning system, as well as regarding the Ministry of the Interior’s programmes for the protection of vulnerable groups. Weaknesses persisted in the Government’s responses to warnings, as well as in decreasing risk factors for vulnerable groups. The Government adopted positive measures regarding the destruction of stored anti-personnel mines. The armed forces occasionally carried out operations in which they failed to observe humanitarian principles." [15] (http://www.hchr.org.co/documentoseinformes/informes/altocomisionado/informes.php3?cod=8&cat=11)

An anti-terror statute that granted the military judicial police rights and allowed limited arrests and communication intercepts without warrants, criticized by many human rights groups, had been approved by Congress on December 11 is the 345th day (346th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 20 days remaining. December Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19... December 11, 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Years: 2000 2001 2002 - 2003 - 2004 2005 2006 Decades: 1970s 1980s 1990s - 2000s - 2010s 2020s 2030s Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century News by month: Jan... 2003 but was struck down in See August (album) for the album by Eric Clapton. August Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 ... August -1... 2004 by the Colombian Constitutional Court during its review, due to an error in the approval procedure, an objection that it has also presented towards other bills. [16] (http://indh.pnud.org.co/articuloImprimir.plx?id=187&t=informePrensa) Few analysts have speculated that the Uribe administration might want to try to re-introduce a similar bill in Years: 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 | 2005 (MMV) | 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Decades: 1970s 1980s 1990s - 2000s - 2010s 2020s 2030s Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century News by month: Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec 2005 in topic: Arts Architecture... 2005, and no signs of that have surfaced yet.

International relations

Since gaining office, Uribe's concrete actions would tend to show him as a stringent enemy of narcotics traffickers, as his administration has been responsible for arresting and extraditing more drug traffickers to the For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). The United States of America, also referred to as the United States, U.S.A., U.S., US, America¹, or the States, is a federal republic of fifty states, mostly in central North America. The U.S. has three land... United States and to other countries than all other presidents to date.

He has also been publicly recognized as a supporter of the United States in the The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. Terrorism General Definition Conventions Counterterrorism Criticisms Lists Groups Incidents Types Nationalist Religious Left-wing Right-wing State Islamist Ethnic Narcoterrorism Domestic Anarchist Political Eco-terrorism Christian Tactics Hijacking Assassination Car bombing Suicide bombing Kidnapping... war on terror (supporting the invasion of Iraq despite internal opinions to the contrary) and in the The prohibition of drugs through legislation or religious law is a common means of controlling the perceived negative consequences of recreational drug use at a society- or world-wide level. Present-day attempts to enforce drug prohibition are frequently considered to be part of the ongoing war on drugs instituted... war on drugs, through the continued implementation of the anti-drug strategy of This article needs cleanup. Please edit this article to conform to a higher standard of article quality. Plan Colombia is an ambitious and controversial initiative aimed at resolving the ongoing, forty-year civil war in Colombia. The Plan was conceived in 1999 by the administration of President Andrés Pastrana... Plan Colombia.

In a November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 39 days remaining. November Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19... November 22 visit to the coastal city of For other places of the same name, see Cartagena Bocagrande Cartagena San Pedro Square,Old City Cartagena Cartagena, Colombia, also known as Cartagena de Indias, is a large seaport on the north coast of Colombia. Founded in 1533 by don Pedro de Heredia, and named after Cartagena, Spain, it was... Cartagena, U.S. President George W. Bush stood by the results of Colombian president Uribe's security policies and declared his support for continuing to provide Plan Colombia aid in the future: "My nation will continue to help Colombia prevail in this vital struggle. Since the year 2000, when we began Plan Colombia, the United States has provided more than $3 billion in vital aid. We'll continue providing aid. We've helped Colombia to strengthen its democracy, to combat drug production, to create a more transparent and effective judicial system, to increase the size and professionalism of its military and police forces, to protect human rights, and to reduce corruption. Mr. President, you and your government have not let us down. Plan Colombia enjoys wide bipartisan support in my country, and next year I will ask our Congress to renew its support so that this courageous nation can win its war against narco-terrorists." [17] (http://usinfo.state.gov/gi/Archive/2004/Nov/23-231491.html)

Pres. Álvaro Uribe (left) with The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. Seal of the House of Representatives Contents // 1 Members 2 Activities 3 History 4 Composition During the 109th Congress (2005–2007) 5 A cable TV... U.S. congressman John Boozman (born December 10, 1950), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 2001, representing the 3rd District of Arkansas. He was born in Arkansas, was educated at the University of Arkansas and the Southern College of Optometry, and was an optometrist... John Boozman

The Uribe administration has maintained generally positive diplomatic relations with Spain and most Latin American nations. It signed several accords, including a -1... 2004 one for the joint construction of a pipeline with The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish: República Bolivariana de Venezuela)1 is a country in northern South America.2 It borders the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Guyana to the east, Brazil to the south, and Colombia to the west. Off the Venezuelan coast are... Venezuela, a Years: 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 | 2005 (MMV) | 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Decades: 1970s 1980s 1990s - 2000s - 2010s 2020s 2030s Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century News by month: Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec 2005 in topic: Arts Architecture... 2005 security and anti-drug trafficking cooperation deal with The Republic of Paraguay is a landlocked republic in South America. Lying on both banks of the Paraguay River, it borders Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the northeast and Bolivia to the northwest. The name Paraguay is derived from the Guarani words pará, meaning river and guay... Paraguay [18] (http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=82319), a -1... 2004 commercial and technological cooperation agreement with For other uses, see Bolivia (disambiguation). The Republic of Bolivia is a landlocked country in central South America. It is bordered by Brazil in the north and east, Paraguay and Argentina in the south, and Chile and Peru in the west. Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simón Bolívar... Bolivia [19] (http://www.esmas.com/noticierostelevisa/internacionales/409545.html), a defense agreement with The Kingdom of Spain or Spain (Spanish: Reino de España or España; Catalan: Regne dEspanya; Basque: Espainiako Erresuma; Galician: Reino de España; Asturian: Reinu dEspaña) is a country located in the southwest of Europe. It shares the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra... Spain (which was modified in -1... 2004 but still remained valid) [20] (http://www.belt.es/noticias/2004/julio/29/espana_colombia.htm), and economic and cultural agreements with the The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) comprises most of the cultural, historic, and geographic area known as This article is on the geographic and cultural entity. For other meanings, see ... China (disambiguation). ... ... The The Great Wall of China (TC: 長城; SC: 长城, Pinyin: Chángchéng), also... People's Republic of China in April Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 2005 April is the fourth month of the year in... April Years: 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 | 2005 (MMV) | 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Decades: 1970s 1980s 1990s - 2000s - 2010s 2020s 2030s Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century News by month: Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec 2005 in topic: Arts Architecture... 2005 [21] (http://www.spanish.xinhuanet.com/spanish/2005-04/07/content_100364.htm).

Several analysts consider that, being a relative ally of the For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). The United States of America, also referred to as the United States, U.S.A., U.S., US, America¹, or the States, is a federal republic of fifty states, mostly in central North America. The U.S. has three land... United States, he would be ideologically opposed to leftwing governments in Latin America and elsewhere. Despite these ideological differences, Uribe has participated in multilateral meetings and has held bilateral summits with presidents Hugo Chávez, Omar Torrijos Omar Torrijos Herrera (February 13, 1929 - August 1, 1981) was a Panamanian army officer and military ruler of Panama from 1968 to 1981. Torrijos was often referred to in the American press as the military strongman of Panama. A son of Torrijos, Martín Torrijos Espino, won the... Omar Torrijos, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva President of Brazil Became President: January 1, 2003 Predecessor: Fernando Henrique Cardoso Date of Birth: October 6, 1945 Place of Birth: Vargem Grande (now Caetés), Garanhuns, Pernambuco State Party: Workers Party Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (born October 6, 1945) is a... Lula da Silva, Ricardo Froilán Lagos Escobar (born March 2, 1938) is the current President of Chile. He was elected in March 2000 (his term ends in March 2006.) He is a member of the Party for Democracy and the Socialist Party of Chile, and won with a narrow margin in the... Ricardo Lagos, Carlos Mesa Gisbert President of Bolivia Tenure From October 17, 2003 Preceded by Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada Succeeded by incumbent in office Date of birth August 12, 1953 Place of birth La Paz First Lady Elvira Salinas de Mesa Party no party affiliation Carlos Diego Mesa Gisbert (August 12... Carlos Mesa and Vicente Fox Quesada President of Mexico Order: 63rd President Term of office: December 1, 2000 to December 1, 2006 Preceded by: Ernesto Zedillo Date of birth: July 2, 1942 Birthplace: Mexico City Profession: Businessman Political party: National Action Party Spouse: Marta Sahagún Vicente Fox Quesada (born July 2, 1942... Vicente Fox, among others. Colombia has also maintained diplomatic relations with For other uses, see Cuba (disambiguation). The Republic of Cuba is an archipelago in the northern Caribbean that lies between the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. To the north are found the United States and the Bahamas, to the west Mexico, to the south the... Cuba and the The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) comprises most of the cultural, historic, and geographic area known as This article is on the geographic and cultural entity. For other meanings, see ... China (disambiguation). ... ... The The Great Wall of China (TC: 長城; SC: 长城, Pinyin: Chángchéng), also... People's Republic of China.

There have been some diplomatic incidents and crises between Venezuela and Colombia during his term, in particular around the Years: 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 | 2005 (MMV) | 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Decades: 1970s 1980s 1990s - 2000s - 2010s 2020s 2030s Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century News by month: Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec 2005 in topic: Arts Architecture... 2005 Rodrigo Granda affair, Colombia's frustrated -1... 2004 acquisition of 46 Contents // 1 Overview 2 History 3 Specifications 4 See Also Overview Perhaps the most successful post-war French armored vehicle design, the AMX-30 main battle tank was designed by GIAT Industries with a focus on good firepower and superior mobility. In addition, it was designed to be able to... AMX-30 tanks from The Kingdom of Spain or Spain (Spanish: Reino de España or España; Catalan: Regne dEspanya; Basque: Espainiako Erresuma; Galician: Reino de España; Asturian: Reinu dEspaña) is a country located in the southwest of Europe. It shares the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra... Spain and an Alleged_planned_Venezuelan_coup_in_2004 by alleged Colombian paramilitaries. These internationally worrying circumstances have been ultimately resolved through the use of official diplomatic channels and bilateral presidential summits (in the first two cases).

International law enforcement cooperation has been maintained with countries such as the For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). The United States of America, also referred to as the United States, U.S.A., U.S., US, America¹, or the States, is a federal republic of fifty states, mostly in central North America. The U.S. has three land... United States, The Kingdom of Spain or Spain (Spanish: Reino de España or España; Catalan: Regne dEspanya; Basque: Espainiako Erresuma; Galician: Reino de España; Asturian: Reinu dEspaña) is a country located in the southwest of Europe. It shares the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra... Spain, Great Britain is an island lying off the western coast of Europe, comprising the main territory of the United Kingdom. Great Britain is also used as a political term describing the combination of England, Scotland, and Wales, the three nations which together include all the islands territory. Great Britain... Great Britain, México, The Republic of Ecuador is a country in northwestern South America, bounded by Colombia on the north, by Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean on the west. The country also includes the Galápagos Islands (Colón Archipelago) in the Pacific, about 965 km (about... Ecuador, The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish: República Bolivariana de Venezuela)1 is a country in northern South America.2 It borders the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Guyana to the east, Brazil to the south, and Colombia to the west. Off the Venezuelan coast are... Venezuela, For other uses, see Peru (disambiguation). The Republic of Peru (Spanish: Perú; Quechua, Aymara: Piruw) is a country in western South America, bordering with Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the east, south-east and south, Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean... Peru, Panama (Spanish: Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. It constitutes the last part of a natural land bridge between the North American and South American continents. It borders Costa Rica to the west and Colombia to the east. República de Panamá (In Detail) (Full size) National motto... Panama, The Republic of Paraguay is a landlocked republic in South America. Lying on both banks of the Paraguay River, it borders Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the northeast and Bolivia to the northwest. The name Paraguay is derived from the Guarani words pará, meaning river and guay... Paraguay, Honduras is a country in northern Central America, bordered to the west by Guatemala and El Salvador, to the south by Nicaragua and the Pacific Ocean and to the north by the Gulf of Honduras and the Caribbean Sea. Belize (formerly British Honduras) is 75 km away across the Bay... Honduras and For other uses, see Brazil (disambiguation). The Federative Republic of Brazil (República Federativa do Brasil in Portuguese) is the largest and most populous country in South America_ it is actually larger than mainland USA. Spanning a vast area between the central South America and the Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Peru... Brazil among others.

Uribe's government, along with For other uses, see Peru (disambiguation). The Republic of Peru (Spanish: Perú; Quechua, Aymara: Piruw) is a country in western South America, bordering with Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the east, south-east and south, Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean... Peru and The Republic of Ecuador is a country in northwestern South America, bounded by Colombia on the north, by Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean on the west. The country also includes the Galápagos Islands (Colón Archipelago) in the Pacific, about 965 km (about... Ecuador, is currently participating in a series of negotiations that intend to sign a Free trade is an economic concept referring to the selling of products between countries without tariffs or other trade barriers. Free trade is the absence of artificial (government-imposed) barriers to trade among individuals and firms in different nations. International trade is often constricted by different national taxes, other fees... free trade agreement with the United States.

Socio-economic policy

The Uribe administration has continued dealing with the The flag of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international organization responsible for managing the global financial system and for providing loans to its member states to help alleviate balance of payments problems. Part of its mission is to help countries that experience serious... IMF and the The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, in Romance languages: BIRD), better known as the World Bank, is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by WWII. Now, its mission has expanded to fight poverty by means of financing states. Its operation... World Bank, securing loans, agreeing to cut expenses, agreeing to continue debt payments, privatize public companies and foment investor confidence, in order to comply with financial orthodoxy. It is claimed that these and other measures are necessary to reduce inflation and the size of the state's deficit.

The government's High Advisor for Social Policy, Juan Lozano, presented in February Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 2005 February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian... February Years: 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 | 2005 (MMV) | 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Decades: 1970s 1980s 1990s - 2000s - 2010s 2020s 2030s Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century News by month: Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec 2005 in topic: Arts Architecture... 2005 some of the administrations alleged socio-economic statistics: an increase of 5 million affiliates to the subsidized health system (3.5 million made in 2004, for a total of 15.4 affiliates), an increase of 2 million colombians that receive meals and care through the Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF) (for a total of 6.6 million in 2004), an increase of 1.7 million education slots in the National Service of Learning (SENA) (for a total of 2.7 million in 2004), an increase of 157% in the amount of microcredits available to small entrepreneurs, a reduction of unemployment from 15.6% in December Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 2005 December is the twelfth and last month of... December 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. It was designated: International Year of Ecotourism and United Kingdom Autism Awareness Year in the United Kingdom Years: 1999 2000 2001 - 2002 - 2003 2004 2005 Decades: 1970s 1980s 1990s - 2000s - 2010s 2020s 2030s Centuries: 20th century - 21st century... 2002 to 12.1% by December Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 2005 December is the twelfth and last month of... December of -1... 2004, the addition of almost 200.000 new houses to existing housing projects for the poor, a total of 750.000 new school slots in primary and high school, some 260.000 new university slots, the return of 70.000 displaced persons to their homes (under a 800% increase in the budget assigned to this matter), and support for program that seeks to increase economic subsidies from 170.000 to 570.000 of the elderly by the end of the term.

The High Advisor added that a "colossal effort" is still required and that work must continue, and that this progress would constitute a sign of the Uribe administration's positive effects on social indicators. [22] (http://www.embajada-colombia.de/paginas/noticias_home/c_noticia44_home.htm) [23] (http://www.miami.com/mld/elnuevo/news/breaking_news/11022391.htm)

Companies such as Carbocol, Telecom, Bancafé, Minercol and others, which were either already in crisis or considered by the government as overly expensive to maintain under their current spending conditions, were among those restructured or privatized.

Uribe's administration has been considered as The term neoliberalism is used to describe a political-economic philosophy that had major implications for government policies beginning in the 1970s – and increasingly prominent since 1980 – that de-emphasizes or rejects positive government intervention in the economy, focusing instead on achieving progress and even social justice by... neoliberal by most direct critics, which argue that it has not addressed the root causes of poverty and unemployment, because continued application of traditional trade and tax policies tend to benefit private and foreign investors over small owners and workers. It is claimed by union and labor groups that many of the privatizations and liquidations have been done to please the The flag of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international organization responsible for managing the global financial system and for providing loans to its member states to help alleviate balance of payments problems. Part of its mission is to help countries that experience serious... IMF, the The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, in Romance languages: BIRD), better known as the World Bank, is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by WWII. Now, its mission has expanded to fight poverty by means of financing states. Its operation... World Bank and multinational companies, and would end up hurting several national industries in the long run.[24] (http://www.minesandcommunities.org/Action/action48.htm)

Setbacks in 2003

A national referendum had been promoted during Uribe's campaign and was later subject to congressional modification and judicial review. Some of the aspects that were removed during the discussions included the possibility of revoking Congress and the option of voting "Yes" or "No" as a whole.

The proposal as implemented was defeated at the polls on October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 67 days remaining. October Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20... October 25, 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Years: 2000 2001 2002 - 2003 - 2004 2005 2006 Decades: 1970s 1980s 1990s - 2000s - 2010s 2020s 2030s Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century News by month: Jan... 2003, and several leftwing candidates that expressed opposition gained electoral victories at the regional elections that took place the next day.

At least 25% of the electorate needed to participate in each of the referendum's 15 proposals in order for each individual result to be considered valid, but actual overall participation was only of 24.8% and only the first proposal ("political death for the corrupt") was able to achieve this (though all proposals were approved by a substantial majority of those that did vote). [25] (http://www.ifes.org/eguide/resultsum/colombia_ref03.htm)[26] (http://www.registraduria.gov.co/2003RE_escrut/e/vre0.htm?1)

Analysts considered that the combination of these two events evidenced a political setback for Uribe, as one of his main campaign propositions had failed, despite the president's personal leadership. The "active abstention" and blank voting campaigns that his opponents, in particular the Independent Democratic Pole and the Politics of Colombia Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | Colombian political parties | Liberal parties ... Colombian Liberal Party, had promoted were allegedly successful in convincing enough of their sympathizers to stay home and instead participate in the next day's round of elections. [27] (http://www.registraduria.gov.co/2003CC/)

A number of Uribe's own supporters didn't participate either, as they found the referendum, which had been modified by Congress and later by the Judicial branch, to be too complex, long and uninspiring. Some also pointed out that extraordinary electoral initiatives (in other words, those voted independently outside standard electoral dates) have traditionally suffered complications in Colombia, including a lack of participation.

In September Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 2005 September is the ninth month of the year in... September 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Years: 2000 2001 2002 - 2003 - 2004 2005 2006 Decades: 1970s 1980s 1990s - 2000s - 2010s 2020s 2030s Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century News by month: Jan... 2003, president Uribe had issued a speech that contained allegations against what he claims are "agents of terrorism" inside a minority of human rights organizations, while at the same time declaring that he respects criticism from most other established organizations and sources. Similar statements were later repeated in other instances. [28] (http://ciponline.org/colombia/030908urib.htm)

These statements have been sharply criticized both inside and outside Colombia because they could potentially endanger the work of human rights and opposition figures. [29] (http://ciponline.org/colombia/ngos.htm) In light of this stance and his family's background as wealthy cattle ranchers, critics have made allegations of his past ties to narcotics traffickers and paramilitaries.

Also in 2003, contacts begun during the previous year with the paramilitary Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia) or AUC is a terrorist umbrella organization formed in April 1997 to consolidate most local and regional Colombia, each with the mission to protect economic interests and combat insurgents locally. AUC itself estimates that they have authority over about 90... AUC forces and their leader Carlos Castaño Gil, which had publicly expressed their will to declare a cease-fire, continued amid a degree of national and international controversy around the matter.

See also: 2003-2004:_Initial_negotiation_efforts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autodefensas_Unidas_de_Colombia#2003-2004:_Initial_negotiation_efforts)

Reelection proposal

In -1... 2004, Uribe successfully sought a Congressional amendment to the Colombian Constitution which, after being reviewed by the Colombian Constitutional Court, would allow him to run for a second term as president (the Constitution of 1991 only allowed for one presidential term).

Uribe originally had expressed his disagreement with consecutive reelection during his campaign, but later changed his mind, first at a private level and later during public appearances.

Many analysts considered that, in order to secure the approval of this reform, Uribe may have slacked on his campaign promises, because of what has been perceived as his indirect bribing of congressmen, through the alleged assignment of their relatives to the diplomatic corps and through promises of investment in their regions of origin. Uribe's supporters consider that no actual bribing took place, and that a concensus among the diverse sectors that back Uribe's policies in Congress had to be reached through political negotiation.

Paramilitary demobilizations

See also: Late 2004: Demobilizations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autodefensas_Unidas_de_Colombia#Late_2004:_Demobilizations)

After some of the AUC's main leaders had declared a cease-fire and agreed to concentrate in Santa Fé de Ralito, several paramilitary demobilizations began in earnest, with thousands of their "rank and file" fighters disarming and being incorporated into government rehabilitation programs towards the end of the year. The main AUC leaders, who would be responsible for atrocities, remained in the concentration zone and continued talks with the government's High Commissioner for Peace, Luis Carlos Restrepo is a Colombian writer. External links http://www.luiscarlosrestrepo.com Categories: Substubs ... Luis Carlos Restrepo. A number of the paramilitary members who initially demobilized in Medellín apparently did not actually belong to the AUC and this caused public concern. The AUC commanders claimed, as the year ended, that they had difficulties controlling all of their personnel from their isolated position, that they had already demobilized some 20% of their forces, and that they would await for the drafting of the necessary legal framework before making any more significant moves.

Electoral year

The year Years: 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 | 2005 (MMV) | 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Decades: 1970s 1980s 1990s - 2000s - 2010s 2020s 2030s Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century News by month: Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec 2005 in topic: Arts Architecture... 2005 established itself as an electoral year, as both president Uribe and Colombia's congressmen began to set their sights on next year's round of elections (to be held in May Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21