When the citizens of Colombia went to the polls on May 28 and exercised their civic duty in astutely re—electing Alvaro Uribe with 62% of the vote in a three way contest, the United States was joined by Colombia in realizing another important victory in the global War on Terror.

The Wall Street Journal penned an editorial stating the importance of this win for our American neighbors to the South. Statements such as "Liberty lovers across the Western Hemisphere are cheering Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's second—term victory on Sunday" and "evidence of a backlash against the economic isolation and hostility toward private property preached by Mr. Gaviria and Mr. Chávez next door" via Uribe's win tell it all.

The National Review dedicated a few hundred words to Uribe's triumph, noting among much else, that amicable relations and the ratification of a trade agreement with the US

"...will help Colombia develop as a regional counterbalance to Venezuela's, Hugo Chavez.

"Sharing a border with Chavez's rogue style of government, on a continent with its fair share of rising anti—Americanism, Colombia has been a steadfast ally of ours. The write—up wisely notes that "the United States could use more friends in South America."

Even Pacifica radio's left—leaning Democracy Now website nailed the importance of the Uribe win, claiming that,

"For the Bush administration Uribe's re—election marks a rare bright moment in Latin America where a series of left—wing candidates have won recent elections in Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay."

Not surprisingly then, the National Review continued by asking "the fundamental question of whether Colombians are better off today that they were four years ago," and the answer was "a resounding yes." In their excerpt, the editors of the country's foremost Conservative magazine for more than 50 years deduced that since Uribe took office, "violence has receded substantially; rebel groups are disarming or are severely weakened," and Uribe now, in western style democracy, wants to move ahead with tax reform and the aforementioned trade agreements.

As someone who visited the capital city of Bogota (pop. 7 million) recently, I have this on good authority. As someone whose fiancee's family hails from that city and the majority of whose family still resides there — while it's no Boca Raton nor Beverly Hills — Bogota, and the nation of Colombia, have seen worse days.

The days of the guerilla forces sweeping onto school buses and slashing the driver's throat in front of schoolchildren, kidnaping innocents in the middle of the night, or conducting Al Qaeda type activities all in the name of an anti—democratic "revolution" that would make Che Guevera proud, are slowly being quelled. 

But specious forces here and abroad do not want an end to the terror. International ANSWER, the devoutly evil creation of Ramsey Clark, the Marxist—Leninist World Workers Party and many other America—hating groups, strongly support the murderous guerillas and have incessantly denounced Uribe and Colombia's government. People have been slow to wise up to the horror and violence that so—called "anti—war/peace" organizations like ANSWER espouse, as their marches still draw high numbers of ignorant "activists," teachers, lawyers, politicians, celebrities, students and ordinary denizens. Many of these macabre organizations, such as the guerillas in Colombia, are funded through the purchase of their t—shirts that support little aside from hatred. If only the folks who don these shirts knew what ANSWER stood for. 

Instead, insouciant collegians decorate their walls with ANSWER posters and, when asked, carry their signs with pride, until someone industrious points them to ANSWER's website, inducing either sudden horror or at least apathy. I have seen it myself. Even my fiancee was unconvinced of ANSWER's macabre ways before I introduced them properly to her, not just via word of mouth.

That my teacher's union dues used to be illegally pilfered without recourse to support marches than ANSWER attended, is another tragedy of modern public education, and part of why I resigned from the union. And that ANSWER has added Latin American guerilla forces to their list of friends (which also includes the "Palestinians," North Korea and Cuba) will hopefully reveal to the entire nation of their inherent intentions.

That my fiancee's 80 year—old grandmother, whose brother—in—law was murdered by the guerilla forces in 1987, won't have to pace around her apartment waiting to hear if the radical forces might tragically retake power and wreak further havoc now is a blessing. Instead, she can rest easier with the US—backed, noble Uribe in charge of her country.