Since Wednesday, 2 July 2008, accolades for President Alvaro Uribe and Colombia's military have been cast from around the world. Even one of the president's harshest critics, President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, has surprisingly acknowledged the event with applause.
Uribe and his military are undoubtedly entitled to the pervasive response of praise for last week's precisely executed, humanitarian operation which liberated 15 high-profile hostages from the hands of the planet's longest-enduring guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). If the top brass maintain their integrity, perhaps they will succeed in delivering more fatal blows to the guerrilla group.
While France and the United States were two of the first countries to officially congratulate the Colombian president and his military's victorious rescue, the people of Colombia are responding in like fashion. Uribe's approval rating is said to have surged to over 90 per cent. One of Colombia's publications, El Espectador, has reported that 65 per cent of Colombians polled would vote for Uribe if he is granted a constitutionally amended, third attempt at office in 2010.
If Uribe is indeed able to overcome the Supreme Court's hesitation to approve the amendment, he will still be faced with opponents who are gaining popularity. One of the potential candidates would be Juan Manuel Santos, Colombia's Defense Minister who was a central figure in planning the rescue mission. The Fulbright scholar with a doctorate in law, who came aboard Uribe's administration in July 2006, has great potential with enormous public appeal.
Santos aside, the highest-profile captive, Ingrid Betancourt, who was one of the people rescued in Wednesday's mission, has vowed to become Colombia's next president. Since being liberated, she said that facilitating the release of the Marxist group's remaining prisoners is her new mission in life. With all the media surrounding her 76-month FARC capture, her popularity and public promise could vault her to become Colombia's first female leader.
Betancourt is calling on leaders of neighboring Venezuela and Ecuador to play a positive role in bringing an end to the conflict. She says that Presidents Chavez and Correa could be actively important if the FARC request peace negotiations.
However, Latin American expert Adam Isacson of the Washington-based Center for International Policy does not espouse Betancourt's optimism in Chavez and Correa. In fact, Isacson claims that last week's rescue made it clear that Colombia does not require the help of its neighbors [1]. Either way, President Uribe still has two years to fulfill on his entrance to office promise made in 2002, which is to crush the rebels once and for all.
Regardless of who becomes President of Colombia in 2010, for now the country is rejoicing in the government's victory for Colombians against the FARC. A sense of accomplishment for the military's strategic strike to the rebel group permeates the nation. Colombians are beginning to develop hope that the conflict is coming to an end as the FARC have also suffered the loss of their leader and founder, Manuel Marulanda, this past 26 March. Preceding that was the attack in Ecuador this past 1 March, which took commanding leader Raul Reyes off the group's roster.
At the same time, other Colombians who continue to have family members being held captive are concerned that their loved ones may be forgotten by Uribe's administration. While last week's rescue was unarguably a critical high point in the country's violent conflict between the government and its insurgent group, at least 700 more prisoners are estimated to remain in FARC captivity.
The most pertinent question for many Colombians is how and when Uribe plans to liberate the remaining hostages. Contrary to media frenzy, last week's success did not resolve the conflict, nor did it liberate the longest-held captives who exceed more than a decade in jungle captivity. While it was significant, the conflict was not resolved by the mission. In fact, uncertainty to the FARC's response brings only fuzzy speculation for the future.
As Colombia celebrates last week's hostage rescue with the rest of the world, public consensus amongst Colombians indicates a stronger-than-ever approval for Uribe and his government. The rescue even prompted Cuba's Fidel Castro to suggest to the FARC that they unconditionally release all prisoners, but that they also continue in their armed struggle against the government [2]. All sides now appear to be falling in on the country's guerrilla group.
Considering all this, it seems the FARC stand with all fingers pointed at them for the next move in Colombia's long-lived and dynamic internal conflict. The group's new commanding leader, Alfonso Cano, is certainly facing challenges in a changing climate that appears to be advantageous for the government of Colombia and its leader.
Sources:
1.http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/inte rnational/index.ssf?/base/international-13/121515834 1197030.xml&storylist=international
2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7492506.stm