President Santos: 'Waging War Is More Popular than Negotiating'

[The German]

In a SPIEGEL interview, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos discusses upcoming elections, his government's peace talks with FARC and his hopes that the 50-year-old armed conflict will end this year.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, 62, is an economist and journalist. Prior to taking office, he worked at his family's daily El Tiempo newspaper in Bogota and held several government cabinet post, including that of defense minister under conservative former President Alvaro Uribe. The two had a falling out after Santos' 2010 election, when he announced that he would conduct peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the left-wing guerrilla group. Since the end of 2012, the government in Bogota has been negotiating with FARC in Cuba to end the civil war that has been raging in the country since 1964, claiming close to a quarter-million lives and displacing around 6 million people.

ANZEIGE
The upcoming presidential elections, set to take place on May 25, will also be a vote on the future of the peace process. Santos is currently leading in polls, but his opponent from Uribe's party, Oscar Ivan Zuluaga, who categorically rejects negotiations with the guerillas, is gaining ground. Shortly after conducting an interview with SPIEGEL, FARC and Colombia's other main rebel group, the smaller National Liberation army (ELN), announced on Friday they would begin a unilateral cease-fire until after the election. The government and FARC negotiators also announced a deal to jointly combat illicit drugs, one of the country's most contentious issues.

SPIEGEL Interview with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos - SPIEGEL ONLINE

 

[TeleKat]

He's not wrong. Battlecries and bloodthirst win elections. People like a strong leader that promises to stomp out the "bad guys" and save the country. This is why anti-war candidates don't really ever win big ticket government positions no matter the country or race. Reason and logic doesn't win elections, propaganda does.

 

[radioman]

SPIEGEL Interview with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos - SPIEGEL ONLINE

Unbelievable.
This "civil war" has been going on for 50 years?
As an American citizen, I count my blessings everyday.

 

[MichaelW]

It worked for Uribe, who substantially weakened FARC during his term as president.

 

[Red_Dave]

He's not wrong. Battlecries and bloodthirst win elections. People like a strong leader that promises to stomp out the "bad guys" and save the country. This is why anti-war candidates don't really ever win big ticket government positions no matter the country or race. Reason and logic doesn't win elections, propaganda does.

On the contrary, Bush II ran on a non interventionist platform in 2000 and Nixon was elected (twice) on the promise of ending the Vietnam war. The difference is what they do after they are elected.