Is Colombia safer with Uribe?

Simon says on Oct 11, 2008, 08:53:

"Is Colombia safer with Uribe?"


Is a frog's ass watertight?

"DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Simon says on Oct 11, 2008, 10:07:

From this month's Vanity Fair magazine:

"Annual murder rates in Bogotá and Medellín are now lower than in Washington, D.C., thanks to Uribe, who has aggressively pursued “democratic security” and has made the roads in most of the country safe to travel again. As a result, he has earned a 78 percent approval rating (it was 90 percent right after the hostages were liberated). If the dramatic rescue of Ingrid Betancourt, 11 soldiers and policemen, and three Americans by the Colombian military did one thing, it was to make Colombians not only proud of their country but also ready to fight back."

"DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon

0 funny, 0 helpful.

jorgegdiaz (☼Travelguide writer) says on Oct 11, 2008, 10:25:

Philly says on Oct 11, 2008, 11:17:

However, someone gets killed here in Cucuta almost every day. I would say travelling on roads is much safer, but Colombia has a very long way to go.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

rocinante says on Oct 11, 2008, 11:19:

Obama is going to cut off plan Colombia? On what grounds?

Uribe has made great strides in moving the country forward on just about all political and economic levels. Rome wasn't built in a day.

"World economic indicators point to a democrat winning 2008. It will surely be Obama. Not that the US president actually runs the US." Feb 5, 2008

0 funny, 0 helpful.

spy1983 says on Oct 11, 2008, 12:59:

On grounds he will take care of his brothers here and give and give more to them until we are more broke than now.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

spy1983 says on Oct 11, 2008, 13:00:

They need enough money for the SUV's and cell phones, not to mention 50 cent tickets. Can't have them go without that.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Desi1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Oct 11, 2008, 13:15:

Colombia is safer today that 10 years ago. Bogotá, Medellín and the areas around those cities are safer, the road to Villavicencio is safer and perhaps even Cartagena and Santa Marta are safer. The statistics look much better.

Cali and Buenaventura are worse off, the three southwestern provinces are the same or less safe than before. The once prosperous and relatively safe Valle and it's great city, Cali has been in some serious decline since Uribe came into power. (Not perhaps directly his fault).

So, the answer is both yes and no. Also, how much of this improvement that the statistics show is due to Uribe's policies, Plan Colombia, the presence of even a more cruel power factor than the guerrilla, the paramilitaries in the north and northwest, how much of this is sustainable and how much of it can be attributed to methodological changes when making the statistics can be discussed.

The south is still very unsafe and very unstable. The guerrilla has been seriously weakened but not beaten. perhaps this would be a good time to invite Nobel laureate Ahtisaari to Colombia and start working towards negotiated peace, one more time?

A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi

0 funny, 0 helpful.

billyb says on Oct 11, 2008, 18:41:

"(Not perhaps directly his fault)."

Desi, be honest now and tell the good folks who is really responsible for Cali's current demise.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

miamimike says on Oct 11, 2008, 19:44:

What Posters like Simon continually fail to mention and whom ALWAYS need to be reminded of is, that to a large degree, its the Billions of US $$$ the US has sent(thank you US Taxpayer) to Colombia via Plan Colombia, that has enabled Colombia and Uribe to improve Security. Personally for myself and I have been visiting Colombia since Samper has been in offce, I never had a problem with personal security during any of thes 3 Colombian president's terms.

Avatar Legend: Bush "If any of you Reporters are wondering, it was a Size 10"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

miamimike says on Oct 11, 2008, 19:49:

"What happens if Obama cuts off US aid to Colombia?"
===========================================

No where is there a link that Obama in fact said he was even thinkng of doing this. If there is, SHOW US the link. Now with the current economic crisis the USA is undergoing, I think it would be wise to revisit Aid like this as we need to help ourselves(usa) and besides, how long are these AID Programs to continue in perpetuity for Forever or are they to be sunsetted at some point in time when conditions improve as in Colombia's case?

Avatar Legend: Bush "If any of you Reporters are wondering, it was a Size 10"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

turnmeon (☼Travelguide writer) says on Oct 11, 2008, 20:50:

miamimike says on Oct 11, 2008, 21:10:

Turnmeon--That same amount of Money in PC would nicely make up for the Yearly funding Shortfall in Funding yearly at our VA Medical Centers that serves our Veterans. What is our Priority? Not to mention we are borrowing that PC money from the Chinese and mortaging our own future which lately is in serious Question by the recent turn of events on wall street.

Avatar Legend: Bush "If any of you Reporters are wondering, it was a Size 10"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

sanandressi says on Oct 12, 2008, 07:26:

Hey Miamimike, I read where there were email exchanges between Raul Reyes, Hugo Chavez and Correa where they said in regard to the US election..."..don't worry about the election US Obama is one of us.." I will try and find a link but I read it OR I WOULD NOT SAY IT HERE BECAUSE I DON'T MAKE MIERDA UP!

We know that McCain went to Colombia a few months ago and Palin met Uribe in New York a few weeks ago.

There is no guarantee hat Obama will do in Colombia but e kno McCain suppoorts Colombia and Uribe's efforts. Which work!

Who is OBAMA? I dunno but with Obama the con is on!! Many Democrats want to kill free trade with Colombia. Obama is a DEMOCRAT! ?????????? BTW The liberal press hardly covered McCain's trip to Colombia and was all over Obama's trip to Germany.

"This train will stop in Tucumcari"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

pobrecito says on Oct 12, 2008, 08:00:

"email exchanges between Raul Reyes, Hugo Chavez and Correa"

Show us these e-mails.

De que vale la vida si cuando la tenemos parece muerta. La vida es para sentirla, para vibrar, para luchar, para combatir. Eso justifica nuestro paso por la tierra........Jaime Pardo Leal

0 funny, 0 helpful.

jorgegdiaz (☼Travelguide writer) says on Oct 12, 2008, 09:37:

Colombiareports.com says on Oct 12, 2008, 10:09:

I've only been in and out Colombia since '05 and haven't had any trouble with security so far. But that's because I never went to Meta, Chocó or Nariño and am smart enough not to visit Ciudad Bolivar (Bogotá) or Nicitao (Medellín) without escort.

Security in Colombia very much depends on where you are and who you are. When there's in between 2,5 to 4 million people on the run for violence there's still a lot to improve, isn't there?

I hope you understand that the Colombia we see as gringos or rich Colombians is not the Colombia people see in the poor barrios or the departments where the army's still very much involved in warfare. We live happy, but pretty sheltered lives, unlike the majority of the rural Colombians.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

sanandressi says on Oct 12, 2008, 13:20:

Obama will raise taxes and or cut the military to finance his social programs. He may cut plan Colombia funding. Or print more money as they are doing with the bailout LOL Will he take the oath on the Bible or the Koran?

jorgediaz, you will get out of life what you put into it. That goes for me too! Obama is a politican and he is promising the world to all. Impossible. The con is on with Obama.

I cannot say you will be better off with either. I simply support McCain because I know who he is and what he has done for this country. (I like the idea of nuclear plants McCain supports heck the French got em and the Chinese are getting em and even Hugo wants one!) Obama seems to hate this USA? Would not a flag pin. Refuses to stand for the pledge of allegiance et al. His wife as well. They have made comments as such. Many a Mexican illegal has more respect for this country then Barry and his wife seem to do. Somebody tell me what Barry Obama has done in his political career that makes him better qualified than Sarah Palin to lead this country? A governor has more responsibility than a US senator..executive branch.

Obama is slick and has managed to connect McCain to Bush which is unfair because McCain ran against Bush in 2000 and simply lost. Image is everything in America in 2008. I mean how did Arnold the terminator get elected? Reagan was the same way.

"This train will stop in Tucumcari"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

rocinante says on Oct 12, 2008, 13:57:

"Obama is one of us." Does Obama know this? So what if the email exists, look who the author is.

I'm shocked that you people think that Plan Colombia will be ended when Obama gets in the Whitehouse (-$500 at present time), not that the US president actually runs the US.

As long Chavez is in power and Brazil and Argentina (and soon Bolivia) are done with the IMF, the aid to Colombia, the troops and so forth should not be going anywhere.

Bush, who is super pro TLC, had multiple attempts vs the Dem House and Dem Senate and failed, not even close EVERY time. If McCain gets in that is going to change? How?

First someone has to explain to me just how DOES the TLC help Colombia (besides the rich?). Right now Colombia has a sweet deal thanka to the Andean Pact of 1991. The TLC helps Colombia's image and is the step that will sooner or later increase the Credit rating to investment grade across the board. This is why Uribe wants the TLC and he's right this will lead to a confidence and increas in foreign investment. BUT will this increase in Foreign investment mean more jobs? In theory yes, but the competition from India and China is still fierce there's no guarantee and giving up the Andean Pact is a good deal to gamble, I think.

Back to Plan Colombia, if anything it would behoove the US to get MORE money to Colombia through Plan Colombia or another means. Perhaps there's a way to sneak some in the when the TLC gets passed? It is only a matter of time.

Bottom line is I strongly feel that aid to Colombia, the only real US ally in South America, is not going anywhere. Supposedly US troops in Colombia are at an all time high. I cannot substantiate that, sorry. Lastly the 800 million each year is a pittance to pay for the US to have a presence in South America.

"World economic indicators point to a democrat winning 2008. It will surely be Obama. Not that the US president actually runs the US." Feb 5, 2008

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Gadianton says on Nov 7, 2008, 07:43:

"Annual murder rates in Bogotá and Medellín are now lower than in Washington, D.C."

Not true. Both cities have much higher murder rates than Washington.

Seriously you wouldn't believe how many people spout this crap.

1 funny, 0 helpful.