President Alvaro Uribe was master of ceremonies the night Colombian military intelligence agents disguised as humanitarian workers airlifted Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages to freedom.
Elated former captives of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia sat to his right at the news conference. Uribe’s top generals lined his left.
The nation – and much of the world – watched, enthralled.
The stunning success of Wednesday’s bloodless, U.S.-assisted mission has recharged speculation about a third term for Uribe: Will he try to change the constitution again – which enabled his second term – so he can run in 2010?
The wonkish, diminutive but tirelessly tenacious politician, who turned 56 on Friday and consistently wins approval ratings above 70 percent in opinion surveys, has been cagey on that score.
Those who oppose the idea say it would put him in league with his continental rival, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who has been widely branded autocratic for doing his utmost to try to stay president for life.
“Uribe’s audacious and take-charge approach has worked, but there may also be a downside if he goes too far in concentrating power. There is reason to be concerned,” said Michael Shifter, an analyst with the Washington-based nonpartisan think tank Inter-American Dialogue.
But whether he tries to extend his rule, there is no denying that Uribe got an astronomical political boost from the operation in which undercover soldiers tricked Latin America’s last major rebel army into handing over Betancourt, three U.S. military contractors and 11 soldiers and police.
Tags: Washington | police | chavez | president | colombia | Venezuela | World | rescue | contractors | Soldiers | America | Hostages | CANDIDATE | Revolutionary | presidential | FORCES | ARMED | BOGOTA | COLOMBIAN | Uribe | Alvaro | farc | Betancourt | Ingrid
Filed under: Uncategorized
![[8]](http://static.flickr.com/3566/3684030710_a3b5755453_t.jpg "[8]")
