Latest news with #Colombians
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Alvaro Uribe: Colombia's first ex-president convicted of a crime
Alvaro Uribe , president of Colombia from 2002 to 2010, was wildly popular in rightwing sectors for his war on leftist guerrillas during a particularly vicious period of the country's six-decade-old conflict. Today, opinion polls suggest the 73-year-old remains the most trusted politician in the South American country confronting an upsurge in violence. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Data Science healthcare MBA Degree Project Management Healthcare others Management Data Analytics Artificial Intelligence Others Design Thinking Technology Finance Operations Management Data Science Public Policy Digital Marketing Product Management CXO Cybersecurity PGDM Leadership MCA Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months E&ICT Academy, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati CERT-IITG Prof Cert in DS & BA with GenAI India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK DABS India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 30 Weeks IIM Kozhikode SEPO - IIMK-AI for Senior Executives India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months E&ICT Academy, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati CERT-IITG Postgraduate Cert in AI and ML India Starts on undefined Get Details Born to a landowner in the western Antioquia department, Uribe was elected to Colombia's highest office at the height of the conflict between guerrillas fighting poverty and political marginalization, rightwing paramilitary groups set up to crush the leftists, and the military. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brought to you by Undo He is himself accused of having had ties to paramilitary fighters who often had the backing of agrarian elites. Uribe denies the claims, which are at the heart of his criminal conviction Monday for witness tampering. As president, Uribe adopted a hard line against the Marxist-inspired Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which he accused of killing his father in a botched 1983 kidnapping attempt. Live Events With US backing for his campaign, several FARC leaders were killed on Uribe's orders and soldiers were deployed en masse in operations that gave many Colombians a sense of security, although the violence never diminished. Uribe, a US- and British-educated lawyer who prides himself on being a workaholic who cannot sing, dance or tell jokes, counts a passion for horses among his few distractions. He is a staunch Roman Catholic who practices yoga in the morning and prays at night. Uribe entered politics after his father's death, serving as a senator, mayor of his hometown Medellin, and governor of Antioquia -- Colombia's most populated department. As president, he successfully pushed a constitutional change that allowed him to be re-elected for a second consecutive term -- a reform later overturned by Colombia's highest court. Arguing he needed continuity to see out his battle against armed insurgents and the drug trade they controlled, Uribe also tried, unsuccessfully, to secure a third presidential term. Betrayal Uribe earned praise from Washington for his tough anti-drug policies and strong economic growth as president. Detractors call him an authoritarian who failed the poor. After his presidency ended, Uribe served another term in Congress from 2014-2020 and has continued campaigning for the political right and his Democratic Center party since then. He was instrumental in the choice of his successor: Juan Manuel Santos, who would go on to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts towards a peace deal with the FARC in 2016. For Uribe, this was the ultimate betrayal. His vehement rejection of the agreement that saw the FARC down arms in 2017 has been gaining ground as recent peace efforts have failed under President Gustavo Petro -- Colombia's first-ever leftist president, in office since 2022. Divisive figure A man of short posture and deliberate speech, Uribe is a divisive figure: loved and hated in equal measure. He is known for losing his temper, once being recorded insulting a journalist and threatening physical violence. Even fervent detractors recognize his oratory and administrative skills. But his legacy has been tainted by numerous corruption and espionage claims swirling around members of his entourage. Uribe is under investigation for more than 6,000 civilian executions and forced disappearances allegedly committed by the military under his command. He has also testified in a preliminary probe into a 1997 paramilitary massacre of subsistence farmers when he was governor of Antioquia from 1995 to 1997. During his life, Uribe claims to have survived 15 assassination attempts, including a rocket attack by former guerrillas on the day of his first inauguration. Uribe is married and has two grown sons who have had to answer claims that they rode on his presidential coattails to become successful entrepreneurs. His conviction on Monday made him the first former Colombian president to be found guilty of a crime.
Int'l Business Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Alvaro Uribe: Colombia's First Ex-president Convicted Of A Crime
Alvaro Uribe, president of Colombia from 2002 to 2010, was wildly popular in rightwing sectors for his war on leftist guerrillas during a particularly vicious period of the country's six-decade-old conflict. Today, opinion polls suggest the 73-year-old remains the most trusted politician in the South American country confronting an upsurge in violence. Born to a landowner in the western Antioquia department, Uribe was elected to Colombia's highest office at the height of the conflict between guerrillas fighting poverty and political marginalization, rightwing paramilitary groups set up to crush the leftists, and the military. He is himself accused of having had ties to paramilitary fighters who often had the backing of agrarian elites. Uribe denies the claims, which are at the heart of his criminal conviction Monday for witness tampering. As president, Uribe adopted a hard line against the Marxist-inspired Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which he accused of killing his father in a botched 1983 kidnapping attempt. With US backing for his campaign, several FARC leaders were killed on Uribe's orders and soldiers were deployed en masse in operations that gave many Colombians a sense of security, although the violence never diminished. Uribe, a US- and British-educated lawyer who prides himself on being a workaholic who cannot sing, dance or tell jokes, counts a passion for horses among his few distractions. He is a staunch Roman Catholic who practices yoga in the morning and prays at night. Uribe entered politics after his father's death, serving as a senator, mayor of his hometown Medellin, and governor of Antioquia -- Colombia's most populated department. As president, he successfully pushed a constitutional change that allowed him to be re-elected for a second consecutive term -- a reform later overturned by Colombia's highest court. Arguing he needed continuity to see out his battle against armed insurgents and the drug trade they controlled, Uribe also tried, unsuccessfully, to secure a third presidential term. Uribe earned praise from Washington for his tough anti-drug policies and strong economic growth as president. Detractors call him an authoritarian who failed the poor. After his presidency ended, Uribe served another term in Congress from 2014-2020 and has continued campaigning for the political right and his Democratic Center party since then. He was instrumental in the choice of his successor: Juan Manuel Santos, who would go on to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts towards a peace deal with the FARC in 2016. For Uribe, this was the ultimate betrayal. His vehement rejection of the agreement that saw the FARC down arms in 2017 has been gaining ground as recent peace efforts have failed under President Gustavo Petro -- Colombia's first-ever leftist president, in office since 2022. A man of short posture and deliberate speech, Uribe is a divisive figure: loved and hated in equal measure. He is known for losing his temper, once being recorded insulting a journalist and threatening physical violence. Even fervent detractors recognize his oratory and administrative skills. But his legacy has been tainted by numerous corruption and espionage claims swirling around members of his entourage. Uribe is under investigation for more than 6,000 civilian executions and forced disappearances allegedly committed by the military under his command. He has also testified in a preliminary probe into a 1997 paramilitary massacre of subsistence farmers when he was governor of Antioquia from 1995 to 1997. During his life, Uribe claims to have survived 15 assassination attempts, including a rocket attack by former guerrillas on the day of his first inauguration. Uribe is married and has two grown sons who have had to answer claims that they rode on his presidential coattails to become successful entrepreneurs. His conviction on Monday made him the first former Colombian president to be found guilty of a crime. Supporters see him as a 'political martyr' AFP Uribe is a staunch Catholic AFP A man of short posture and deliberate speech, Uribe is a divisive figure: loved and hated in equal measure AFP
MTV Lebanon
5 days ago
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
Colombia denounces mass deportation of citizens from Ecuador
Colombia's Foreign Ministry criticized Ecuador for deporting large numbers of Colombian citizens without a formal protocol, describing it as a "unfriendly gesture," while Quito said the removals followed legal procedures and upheld human rights standards. On Thursday, the Colombian government reported that authorities in the neighboring country had announced plans to deport Colombians currently imprisoned in various Ecuadorian penitentiaries. "Through diplomatic channels, Colombia has formally lodged its strongest protest against the Ecuadorian government for this unfriendly act, and is currently evaluating appropriate measures in response," the Foreign Ministry said Friday night. The ministry emphasized that Ecuador had taken this action "without implementing any protocol to guarantee the safe, orderly, and respectful transfer of detainees, in line with their human rights." Ecuador's Foreign Ministry said in a statement it had notified Colombia via diplomatic channels of individual deportation proceedings starting July 8, and that the process followed the country's legal framework. Authorities underscored their commitment to due process, citing the issuance of individual rulings and judicial release orders. "Ecuador therefore rejects claims of mass deportations," the ministry said. Meanwhile, Radio Caracol reported that Amilcar Pantoja, mayor of the Colombian border town of Ipiales, confirmed that around 700 Colombian detainees were being sent across the binational bridge without prior official notice.
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Ecuador deports hundreds of Colombian inmates as Bogota cries foul
BOGOTA, Colombia (AFP) -- Ecuadoran authorities said Saturday they had deported hundreds of Colombian prisoners via a land border crossing, after Bogota protested that the move came without prior agreement. In 2024, Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa announced his intention to deport Colombian inmates to ease overcrowding in the country's prisons. Small groups were transferred starting in April. But Colombian President Gustavo Petro opposed the move, saying that a joint plan was needed to safeguard the prisoners' rights. The Colombian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that about 450 Colombians had been deported through the Rumichaca border crossing in Carchi province. Gov. Diana Pozo had previously told reporters that 800 prisoners had been transported through the crossing. SNAI, the Ecuadoran agency which oversees jails, later said in a statement that more than 700 Colombians were in the process of being deported. "This action reaffirms the Ecuadoran government's commitment to internal security and public order," the statement said. The inmates, wearing orange uniforms, waited in line to reenter their home country under the watchful eye of Ecuadoran police and military personnel. Early in the day, some in shorts and t-shirts did exercises while waiting for their turn to cross the border in the chilly Andean air, saying "We want to cross, we want to cross." On Friday, the government in Bogota lodged a formal complaint with Quito, saying such a move without prior agreement was a violation of international law and an "unfriendly gesture." A source in the Carchi governor's office who spoke to Agence France-presse on condition of anonymity said the mass deportation began on Friday, and the 870 inmates slated for expulsion represented about 60 percent of all Colombians in Ecuador's prisons. Juan Morales, an official in the Colombian town of Ipiales, said that authorities had to scramble to handle the influx of people, because Ecuador had not informed them of the deportations. Ecuador's Foreign Ministry said Saturday that Bogota was told about the plan on July 8. The mayor of the border town of Ipiales, Amilcar Pantoja, told the media on Friday that prisoners without pending legal cases in Colombia would be released. Drug trafficking gangs operating in Ecuador -- some involving Colombian criminals -- have turned the country into one of the most violent in Latin America. The homicide rate has jumped from six per 100,000 people in 2018 to 38 in 2024, among the highest in the region.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Ecuador deports hundreds of Colombian inmates amid diplomatic tensions
BOGOTÁ: Ecuadoran authorities deported hundreds of Colombian inmates through the Rumichaca border crossing, prompting objections from Bogota over the lack of prior coordination. The move follows Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa's 2024 announcement to reduce prison overcrowding by deporting foreign inmates. Colombian President Gustavo Petro criticised the action, insisting on a joint plan to protect prisoners' rights. The Colombian Foreign Ministry reported around 450 deportations, while Ecuador's SNAI prison agency stated over 700 were in the process of being sent back. 'This action reaffirms the Ecuadoran government's commitment to internal security and public order,' SNAI said in a statement. Deported inmates, dressed in orange uniforms, queued under Ecuadoran police and military supervision. Some, clad in shorts and t-shirts, performed exercises in the cold Andean air while chanting, 'We want to cross, we want to cross.' Bogota filed a formal complaint, calling the unilateral deportation a breach of international law and an 'unfriendly gesture.' A Carchi governor's office source told AFP that 870 inmates, roughly 60% of Colombians in Ecuador's prisons, were slated for expulsion. Juan Morales, an official in Ipiales, Colombia, said authorities were unprepared for the influx, as Ecuador had not notified them. However, Ecuador's foreign ministry claimed Bogota was informed on July 8. Ipiales Mayor Amilcar Pantoja stated that prisoners without pending legal cases in Colombia would be released. Ecuador's rising violence, partly fueled by Colombian-linked drug gangs, has pushed its homicide rate from six per 100,000 in 2018 to 38 in 2024.- AFP
