Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos took office Saturday with a pledge to create jobs, end rebel violence and foster economic growth while seeking to mend ties with neighbouring countries in spite of “ideological differences”.
The Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces, FARC guerrillas, currently have an estimated “7.000 armed terrorists” which compares favourably with the 20.000 eight years ago when President Alvaro Uribe took office for the first time, said the Colombian Army outgoing commander, General Oscar Gonzalez.
UK Minister Jeremy Browne is visiting Colombia and Chile to boost British business. Minister Jeremy Browne arrived in Bogotá Friday on the first leg of a visit to South America. He will spend three days in Colombia before travelling to Chile.
The former Soviet republic of Georgia plans to open embassies in Brazil and Mexico and will send a top delegation to the inauguration of Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos as it seeks to attract more foreign investment and to expand economic and political ties with Latin America, according to the Foreign Ministry.
An estimated 160.000 Colombian law enforcement agents will reinforce security for when president-elect Juan Manuel Santos takes office next August 7, said General Orlando Paez Baron, head of the Colombian Police’s Citizens Security´.
Colombian Foreign Affairs minister Jaime Bermudez claimed Venezuela impeded reaching a consensus on a cooperation mechanism preventing the presence of Colombian guerrillas in other countries, during the Unasur ministerial meeting Thursday in Ecuador.
Outgoing Colombian president Alvaro Uribe deplored Thursday statements from the Brazilian leader Lula da Silva related to Venezuela’s decision to severe relations with Bogotá, according to a brief release from Palacio Nariño, seat of the Executive.
The extraordinary meeting of Unasur (Union of South American Nations) foreign affairs ministers convened by Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa for this Thursday should help to search for ‘solutions’ to the diplomatic rift between Venezuela and Colombia.
Colombian President-elect Juan Manuel Santos named former Senator Rodrigo Rivera as his defense minister in an apparent bid to maintain the outgoing government’s pressure on guerrillas.
The United States State Department has reversed its decision to deny a visa to a leading Colombian journalist to take up a prestigious fellowship position.