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Category Archives: Colombia
Business as Ideology
Boz has a very good post about the apparent “lack of ideology” when analysts describe drug trafficking organizations.
Occasionally some analyst will say that the drug cartels have no political ideology. However, maybe a better way to look at it is that their ideology is their business…Just because they’re not Marxists or anarchists or [...]
Colombian Trafficker Arrested in Rio
On 16 April, a joint task force of Brazilian and US agencies (including the Drug Enforcement Administration) arrested Nestor Caro Chapparo, aka Felipe, as he was leaving his luxury apartment in Rio’s upscale Copacabana neighborhood.
This is the second consecutive month Caro Chapparo has made headlines. Last month, a video was leaked showing a number of [...]
Scare Tactics in Colombian Presidential Elections
Soft on Terrorism.
The well-worn phrase is one that the US public has grown accustomed to. Like nationalism, it is a tactic that political campaigners use in attempts to disparage one candidate while strengthening the other.
During the 2008 presidential campaign in the United States, Republican candidate John McCain accused Democratic candidate Barack Obama of being soft [...]
Also posted in United States Tagged Alvaro Uribe, Andres Felipe Arias, Antanas Mockus, Campaign Tactics, elections, FARC, Juan Manuel Santos Leave a comment
Early Election Results
Colombians awoke this morning to a host of new senators and members of the Chamber of Representatives and Andean Parliament. .
The winner of the hotly-contested consulta interna for the Partido Conservador, however, is still too close to call. El Colombiano shows Noemi Sanin with a slim advantage over Andres Felipe Arias, although the final results [...]
Posted in Colombia Leave a comment
How Will Colombians Vote This Sunday?
In the Americas Quarterly blog I explain that most Colombians won’t vote this Sunday.
Of those who will vote, about a tenth of them will mistakenly submit invalid ballots.
And many of those presenting valid ballots will will unknowingly support candidates other than their own.
You can read the entire post at the Americas Quarterly blog.
Venezuelan-Colombian Relations at World Politics Review
Diplomatic relations between Colombia and Venezuela have been at the front lines since a Spanish judge accused Venezuela of assisting FARC rebels on March 1, two years to the day after a raid by Colombian soldiers in Ecuador prompted one of the worst regional diplomatic disputes in recent memory.
The accusations are hardly new; in fact, [...]
Also posted in Venezuela Tagged Alvaro Uribe, Diplomacy, FARC, Hugo Chavez, World Politics Review Leave a comment
How To Vote in Colombia
Voting in Colombia can be confusing, so I have created a 5-minute video that explains in Spanish in simple terms how to vote this March. Please share with Colombians you may know.
Why Not Being Disliked is as Powerful as Being Liked
I recently wrote an article for the Americas Quarterly blog in which I argued that in Colombia’s second round of elections for the presidency not being disliked may be even more of a deciding factor than being liked by voters.
Campaign Season in Colombia
Colombian President Álvaro Uribe and his allies were already taking candidate-like precautions before [...]
Disheartening Aspects of Colombia’s Congressional Elections
Some things may be comical when you see them in movies, yet somewhat worrying when they are part of the democracy you count on.
Such is the case with María Fernanda Valencia, Candidate for the Partido de la U, who made it to the front cover of the Colombian magazine Soho (a classier version of the [...]
Colombia Post-Election Analysis – From the Top