Voters in Colombia are reluctantly preparing for life without the man they view as the nation's savior. On May 30, they will go to the polls to elect a successor to President Alvaro Uribe, the leader they chose eight years ago in a bold break with tradition. It was a decision that paid off spectacularly for a country that stood perched on the brink of catastrophe. But Uribe's success in tackling the nation's problems and his resulting sky-high approval ratings created a dangerous challenge for the country's democracy. Colombians pondered the prospect of granting their president an unprecedented third term. After considering the winding road to authoritarian rule, however, Colombia veered back onto the democratic path when the Constitutional Court refused to allow it.
Now that Uribe has to leave, voters must decide who will take the reins once their hero relinquishes them. The contenders for the top job all vow they will follow in their predecessor's footsteps. Still, the main candidates offer different personalities and different philosophies. Whoever becomes Colombia's next president will face formidable challenges in preventing the country from backsliding into calamity. ...
|
