8.03.2005
Top Boys
Tommorow, Colombian president Alvaro Uribe will be paying George W. a visit at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. This is a big deal, as noted by El Tiempo, because only eleven previous world leaders have been extended said invitation, and among these, only one from Latin America: Mexico's Vicente Fox. Moreover, Fox received the nod in the pre-9/11 days, when Bush seemed committed to putting emphasis on Latin America. Thus this visit is symbolic of the closeness between the two allies. The US views Colombia as a significant counterweight to Chavez in the Andean region, while Colombia remains dependent on US funding for security forces in their internal conflict.
Uribe should feel right at home in cowboy country: he is an avid rider of horses and has his own ranch in Cordoba. But Bush and Uribe share more in common than just horseback riding. Both leaders' defining policy agendas have been driven in part by personal vendettas: Uribe against the FARC guerillas who murdered his father on their family ranch in 1983; Bush against Saddam Hussein, who allegedly led a failed assassination attempt in Kuwait against Bush Sr. in 1993.
Uribe and Bush, who will be joined by several Colombian ministers as well as Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice and National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, are set to discuss negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement, the Justice and Peace Law, and Plan Colombia's progress. Yesterday, the State Department (questionably) approved Colombia for its biannual human rights certification, thus freeing up $70 million in military aid. Tommorow, Uribe will also be asking for a pledge of $40 million (of an estimated $160 million needed) to fund paramilitary demobilizations under the new law. With all of these requests, being chummy with W. is of great benefit to Uribe. I personally can't wait to see the cowboy photo-op on horseback.
Uribe should feel right at home in cowboy country: he is an avid rider of horses and has his own ranch in Cordoba. But Bush and Uribe share more in common than just horseback riding. Both leaders' defining policy agendas have been driven in part by personal vendettas: Uribe against the FARC guerillas who murdered his father on their family ranch in 1983; Bush against Saddam Hussein, who allegedly led a failed assassination attempt in Kuwait against Bush Sr. in 1993.
Uribe and Bush, who will be joined by several Colombian ministers as well as Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice and National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, are set to discuss negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement, the Justice and Peace Law, and Plan Colombia's progress. Yesterday, the State Department (questionably) approved Colombia for its biannual human rights certification, thus freeing up $70 million in military aid. Tommorow, Uribe will also be asking for a pledge of $40 million (of an estimated $160 million needed) to fund paramilitary demobilizations under the new law. With all of these requests, being chummy with W. is of great benefit to Uribe. I personally can't wait to see the cowboy photo-op on horseback.
# posted by Juanson : 1:10 PM
