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Colombia President Alvaro Uribe
Re-elected in a Landslide
Law-and-order President Alvaro
Uribe was re-elected in a
landslide Sunday in Colombia's
most peaceful elections in more
than a decade.
Thousands of Colombians in Costa
Rica were on hand at the Museo
de los Niños in San José to vote
and enjoy Colombian music, dance
and traditional foods.
The Harvard-educated Uribe's is
the first president in almost a
century to be re-elected to a
second term. Uribe took the win
with more the 62% of the vote,
while runner up, Carlos Gaviria,
ended with only 22% of the vote.
The majority of Colombians in
Costa Rica voted for Uribe.
Unofficial reports peg the
popular vote at more than 75%.
Sunday's vote took place amid
relative calm — underscoring one
big reason Colombians backed
Uribe. He is credited for
bringing down crime rates and
violence, and with overseeing an
economic surge.
His critics say Uribe has showed
a disinterest in social programs
in a country with rampant
poverty and fear his re-election
we lead him to a strengthening
of his alleged autocratic
tendencies.
There were no reported attacks
on voters during the elections,
but the armed forces reported
killing 12 rebels in a series of
clashes with the Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia, or
FARC, on Saturday and Sunday.
Three soldiers were injured. It
was not clear whether the
clashes were election related.
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