Essay:Alvaro Uribe

Alvaro Uribe is the repressive rightist dictator of the Republic of Colombia. His corrupt government has been linked to paramilitary death squads in rural parts of Colombia. These death squads, covertly supported by both the Colombian government and military, have been implicated in hundreds of massacres of unarmed civilians who were suspected of being guerrillas or guerrilla sympathizers. No concrete proof is required for the death squads to engage in brutal massacres, only mere suspicion. In addition to killing men, the paramilitaries have also engaged in the rape of women and killing of children. The paramilitaries have also been involved in the assassination of union leaders. Uribe was "elected" but large sections of the Colombian population were disenfranchised because of threats and the danger due to the ongoing civil conflict between the leftist FARC and combined forces of the paramilitary death-squads and the Colombian army. The paramilitaries are also heavily involved in the Colombian drug trade.

Uribe and the United States
Despite his horrendous human rights record, Uribe is Bush's closest ally in Latin America. Colombia is currently the most right wing country in the region and has so far resisted Latin America's recent shift to the left. The assassination of many progressive and left-wing candidates in years gone by has helped Colombia maintain a right-wing and US-friendly authoritarian regime. Colombia is the third largest recipient of US aid after Israel and Egypt.

Uribe and his neighbours
Despite his hardline views, Uribe has a cordial relationship with his neighbours and bears no personal animosity towards Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, despite polar opposite political views. His tolerance of his neighbours, however, likely has more to do with maintaining stability than any desire for friendship with centrist and left-wing regimes.