Colombian President Alvaro Uribe looks set to win a new four-year mandate on Sunday to continue his security-minded policies that have brought some stability to the country despite controversy over his heavy-handed tactics.

Polls show Mr Uribe holds a comfortable margin over his closest rivals in this weekend’s presidential election and appears likely to avoid a second round vote that would be triggered if he fails to get more than 50% of the vote.

An Uribe win would be welcomed by the US as a counterbalance to the growing anti-American nationalism in the Andean region.
Mr Uribe remains a staunch ally of the US, which bankrolls the fight against the booming drugs trade that funds Colombia’s 40-year-old war, in which leftist rebels are pitted against government forces and rightwing paramilitary groups.
guardian.co.uk

Here’s the sort of ‘democracy’ the US can get behind.

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