| place image here | |
| Became President: | August 7, 2002 |
| Predecessor: | Andrés Pastrana Arango |
| Date of Birth: | 1952 |
| Place of Birth: | |
Álvaro Uribe Vélez is a Colombian politician.
Running as an independent liberal candidate (having previously been a member of the Colombian Liberal Party), he was elected President of Colombia in the first round of the 26 May 2002 elections with 53% of the popular vote.
His electoral platform was centred around the policy of confronting Colombia's main guerrilla movement, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, or FARC). This new approach was adopted after four years of unsuccessful attempts by the previous administration, under Andrés Pastrana, to negotiate a ceasefire with the guerrillas, and amdi decreasing public support for the guerrillas.
Uribe is often characterized as a "hard-line right-winger" on account of his stance against the FARC and the ELN. In contrast to these perceptions, his socioeconomic policies are more centrist and he has remained open to a negotiated end to the conflict, contingent upon the armed groups first declaring a cease-fire.
See also: Politics of Colombia
