Uribe thinking ahead to 2010

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With nearly three years left in his second term, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is already stirring speculation he will seek a third term. Asked by party supporters at a meeting this week at the presidential palace in Bogota whether he’d consider running again, Uribe answered cryptically, ‘Only in the event of a disaster.’ Later, when asked what sort of a disaster Uribe was referring to, presidential advisor Jose Obdulio Gaviria responded it could be a disaster if the coalition of parties that currently support Uribe couldn’t settle on a successor candidate in 2010. Observers see Uribe’s comments as a strong signal he’ll run, since the only glue keeping the coalition of parties supporting him together is Uribe and the power of his presidency. Uribe supporters this week fell over themselves to insist that the president may be the only alternative to a candidate put forth by parties to the left of the political spectrum

Posted by Chris Kraul in Bogota