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The leader of every country wishes for peace. Yet, very few are able to take successful steps towards achieving it. Except perhaps for Juan Manuel Santos, the President of Colombia. Since winning the elections in June 2010, Santos is enjoying consistently high popularity due to his firm measures to maintain peace and economic stability in a land long haunted by the deadly Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, better known as FARC.
Born into a wealthy Colombian dynasty that owned “El Tiempo,” the country’s most popular newspaper, Santos began working for the National Federation of Coffee Growers soon after he finished his undergraduate studies in 1972. After nine years, Santos returned to Colombia and entered the family newspaper business as sub-director, going on to win the King of Spain's Prize for Journalism for his reports on Nicaragua. From there, Santos completed his graduate studies, first at the London School of Economics, and then at Harvard and Tufts.
Santos, a triple Masters Degree holder in economics, business, and law, embarked on his political career in 1991, when then President Cesar Gaviria named the famed journalist as the Foreign Trade Minister. The very next year, Santos was appointed by the United Nations (UN) as President of its Conference on Trade and Development. Working with the UN in different capacities, Santos had his first encounter with the FARC in 1997. As peacekeeper, he was able to negotiate a demilitarized zone with the revolutionary group.
But Santos is more known for the time between 2006 and 2009 when he was heavily involved in forming the Party of National Social Unity, simply known as Party of the U, to support Colombian President Alvaro Uribe’s re-election for a second term. Santos served as the Minister of Defense and was instrumental in strengthening Uribe’s security policies, beefing up the armed forces and keeping the FARC at bay. He is well known for executing an air raid that killed a senior FARC member along with 25 other group members. In 2008, Santos coordinated the high profile, widely publicized rescue of 15 hostages including former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.
“The time has come for national unity, the time has come for harmony,
the time has come for us to work together for the prosperity of
Colombia.”
Juan Manuel Santos, 2010
Bolstered by his achievements, Santos enjoyed a breezy win in the 2010 elections. By now, he was a close ally of Uribe, whose successes were still etched in people’s minds. Santos picked up on this and promised that he would continue to honor and better Uribe’s policies. “If we have come far it’s because we are standing on the shoulders of giants,” said Santos in his victory speech, acknowledging his respect for Uribe.
Yet, Santos inherited many challenges. Chief among them were an unemployment rate of 12%, a budget deficit that stood at 4%, and a crumbling public health system, all made worse by the financial crisis and of course, the continuing conflicts with drug lords and guerillas. Santos’ promises included a fight to reduce poverty, improve education and attract new investments. “I’ll work with enthusiasm and dedication to continue on the path to finally make this country a country of peace and prosperity,” vowed Santos as he received the presidential sash from Uribe.
Indeed, by November 2010, at the end of 100 days in office, Santos seemed to impress. Moving quickly, he had tenaciously pursued free trade agreements with the U.S., the European Union and South Korea. Crime plummeted by a huge 14% margin, while his fiscal policies earned a rating of four on a scale of five from businesses and guilds. On the security front, Santos scored a huge victory yet again, when military forces killed a top level FARC commander. Santos, known for his pragmatism, was highly praised for re-establishing diplomatic ties with his neighboring countries, particularly Venezuela.
Santos, who has published many books, including one penned with the assistance of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, named “The Third Way,” embraces a centrist political position, combining free-market capitalism with democratic social policies. So far, Colombians have liked his actions, winning Santos a record 90% approval rating at the end of 2010. Yet Santos still has some hurdles to overcome. Colombia was racked by some of the heaviest floods in the country’s history in December, affecting economy and infrastructure. Santos has pledged $7.4 billion in aid and repairs and has raised taxes for high-income earners. It looks like Santos has his feet firmly planted on a course ahead. And that means success for Colombia as well.
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