OyeGente.com: Exit polls show Alvaro Uribe, Right-wing hardliner ,winning Colombian elections

OyeGente.com ^ | 05/26/02 | OyeGente.com

[StopDemocratsDotCom]

OyeGente.com Flash: Exit polls show Alvaro Uribe, Right-wing hardliner, winning Colombian elections with 53% and Horacio Serpa, the Liberal, wih 29% in second place. The polls just closed and the vote count has started.

[StopDemocratsDotCom]

Washington Post: "After 38 years of conflict and an experiment in peace talks that exploded earlier this year, Colombia's traditionally divided electorate seems ready to go along with that gamble in the hopes of ending an increasingly powerful Marxist-led insurgency. Uribe has become the most popular politician in the country by promising to double defense spending, give the military a freer hand, enlist civilians deeply in the war effort and perhaps call up as many as 30,000 reservists."

Uribe's plans would open a new phase in Colombia's war and invite a deeper role for the United States. He has called on Washington to join the fight against Colombia's three irregular armies -- not only the drug trade that finances their operations -- suggesting he will need more U.S. military equipment, intelligence and money.
More Information......

[stands2reason]

Just wondering, is there any such thing as a "left-wing hardliner?"

[Husker24]

No, adjectives are only used to describe right-wingers. Arch-Conservative, rightwing-hardliner, Fascist rightwinger, neo-Conservatives, racist rightwingers, rightwing homophobes, religious right, rightwing militias, etc..

[eleni121]

No, adjectives are only used to describe right-wingers. Arch-Conservative, rightwing-hardliner, Fascist rightwinger, neo-Conservatives, racist rightwingers, rightwing homophobes, religious right, rightwing militias, etc..

Excellent point! May I add a few more: extreme right, far right extremists, right wing wackos, reactionary right...

Never once have I heard any media person or academic speak of the left wing extremists or the extreme left, or the Maoist extremists or the racist anti religious left and on and on. In my conversations with anybody I always add extreme or radical when I speak about the left. And when I speak about the conservatives I add moderate or compassionate in front of conservative. Usually, I refer to the extreme or big brother liberals and the moderate or God loving conservatives.

[Blackyce]

Why didnt they just replace 'Horacio Serpa, the Liberal' with Horacio Serpa, the Good Guy?
You know they wanted to.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

For budding journalists confused about the real meaning of "left-wing:"

Joseph Goebbel's own words: "Those Damn Nazis", long German propaganda piece defining intent and meaning of the Nazi's....National, Socialists....left-wing, "third way.".
A Little Secret About the Nazis
Socialist Origins of Neo-Naziism
You Mean Hitler Wasn't a Priest?
All Socialism is National.

[rwfromkansas]

I like the slogan on his campaign banner there. That is good.

The funny thing is, I think I just heard on CBS that the leftist was favored to win. Maybe I misheard or something....or perhaps they are just showing some bias...:)

[Pushi]

Anything heard on CBS resembling the truth is purely coincidental.

[Husker24]

Thanks, I knew id left out at least a half a dozen more terms.

[TheMole]

Actually, the political label Liberal in Latin America is more likely to refer to a free-trade, business-friendly approach. The guy may not be a leftist in the American sense of "liberal".

OTOH, "right wing hardliner" sounds like my kind of guy :^)

[StopDemocratsDotCom]

this guy is a maverick. He is a former member of the Liberal Party who became and independent. He wants to double the military and crack down on marxist guerillas and he was endorsed by the Conservative party despite the fact they have a female candidate that only got 5%

[StopDemocratsDotCom]

OyeGente.com News Flash: it's official, Alvaro Uribe is the new President-Elect of Colombia.

[agrandis]

This guy might be a wise pick for a Colombian, but it may not be good for the USA, if it gets us more bogged down in what is looking more and more like the Vietnam of the Western Hemisphere. Irregulars cannot be defeated militarily by outside forces - a country can only be occupied, not conquered. It is an irrefutible and common-sense fact of the universe - when will people learn?

A handful of examples: Nazi-occupied Czechkoslovakia; Vichy France; French Indochina, and then Vietnam; Afghanistan (Soviets, and it isn't over for us there); Chechnya; and on and on...

[agrandis]

With the Leftist world press, it's hard to know what to think of the term "right-wing hardliner." In the Netherlands, it meant a dandy fairy who wanted to be tough on immigration and crime. In Latin America, it could mean endorsement of Death Squads, and trips to the middle of the ocean in the middle of the night for suspected members of opposition.

Uribe looks as though he will at least not be hostile toward the US, as is the Venezuelan leader, a leftist-hardliner, but, as I said earlier, if it means more involvement for us in the messy war in Colombia, that is very bad thing for all of us, IMO.

[agrandis]

Looks like "Heil Hitler!"

[The Great Satan]

Excellent news! The worldwide rightist sweep continues!

[janetgreen]

The worldwide rightist sweep continues!

Wish it would sweep this way. We elected a conservative for President and got a liberal.

[hchutch]

I like what I've seen about this guy. Colombia's got someone serious about dealing with FARC and company...

I'd hate to be FARC's military guys right now...

[livius]

Good news! Uribe's the official winner now.

I also read this morning that Colombia has decided to grant asylum to Carmona, the man who was briefly head of the Venezuelan coup attempt. Granted, Carmona botched his handling of it, but the fact remains, nonetheless, that Colombia was willing to oppose the latest Latin American left-wing hero, Chavez, to do this.

I think Uribe may be a significant step in the right direction for Colombia.