This article is unbelievably blind to the realities of the U.S./Colombia relationship, which is based on $7 BILLION in U.S. taxpayer support for killing thousands of union leaders, human rights workers, community organizers, political leftists, journalists, peasant farmers and others, and displacing 3 to 4 MILLION peasant farmers, on behalf of Monsanto, Chiquita, Occidental Petroleum, Dyncorp, et al, and U.S. military occupation of Colombia for those purposes, including use of at least seven Colombian military bases, unfettered use by the U.S. military of all civilian infrastructure and "total diplomatic immunity" for all U.S. soldiers and U.S. 'contractors' no matter what they do in Colombia.
"The attention of the United States will certainly increase in the upcoming weeks (1), as the second round approaches. Sure, in Washington Santos is not only well known, but in general also appreciated. The Obama administration and several members in Congress don't blame him for the false positive. They are aware of his attempts to reform from within the Colombian military and to promote among the ranks a culture and a practice of human rights (2). They have been always supportive of the military strategy against the FARC and are deeply convinced about the consolidation strategy that was designed under Santos' leadership (2). If Santos wins, Washington sees it as an opportunity to continue and to strengthen with him and his men a good collaboration. Santos is well known and will not represent any surprise." --Three Blind Mice
(1) CIA Director Leon Panetta is already paying quite close attention with a personal visit to Bogota a few weeks ago, probably to jettison Uribe in favor of the equally filthy Manuel Santos (the 'Donald Rumsfeld' of Latin America), to evaluate how well U.S. anti-democratic policies have worked to fix elections in Colombia in favor of the interests of multinational corporations and war profiteers and to vet Mockus (warn Mockus? make a deal with Mockus?) to insure that nobody who supports Colombia's sovereignty and/or who represents and advocates for the poor majority will be (s)elected.
(2) Here's an example of Manuel Santos' "consolidation strategy"...
The La Macarena massacre (includes a description of, and links to docs about, U.S. ops in La Macarena)
http://www.cipcol.org/?p=1303The UK military connection
http://www.tribunemagazine.co.uk/2010/02/04/silence-on-british-army-link-to-colombian-mass-grave/U.S. and Colombia Cover Up Atrocities Through Mass Graves, by Dan Kovalik 4/1/10
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-kovalik/us-colombia-cover-up-atro_b_521402.htmlColombia: Mass Grave Discovered In La Macarena
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1005/S00001.htm----------------------------
Santos' "consolidation strategy" was designed in Washington DC and involved MASS MURDER OF CIVILIANS. Either this utterly blind writer doesn't know diddle about what "Washington" wants in Colombia or he is deliberately lying to curry favor--or, another possibility I suppose, as a personal security measure for himself and his family. Those who advocate for Colombian sovereignty (vis a vis the U.S. military occupation of Colombia and rape and plunder of Colombia by U.S.-based multinationals), or who merely advocate for simple social justice and human rights, have a short life span in Colombia. Best to pretend that horrors like the 2,000 stinking corpses in La Macarena, nearby to a U.S. military base, in a "pacification" plan written by the USAID, do not exist and, gee, Washington will be thrilled to have whoever the Colombian people 'choose' to be their president. I am not particularly impressed with Mockus. I think it is more than likely that he is part two of the one-two punch of death and horror "pacification" followed by "free trade for the rich." Anybody who is acceptable to Washington is PART of Washington and its corporate war machine, believe me. Santos will be "no surprise" (according to this writer). Neither will Mockus. "Washington" does not allow "surprises" in its client states.
There may be a two-track policy in "Washington"--and even some tension between the tracks. The Obama administration (Clinton, Panetta) may prefer more democratic cosmetics whereas the past and current Bushwhacks go all out for blood and gore. This DOES NOT MEAN that democracy, peace and social justice will be permitted in a country of such enormous importance to our corporate rulers and war profiteers and to the war planners in the Pentagon.