Colombia's Uribe in
Costa Rica; Thanks Costa
Ricans For Taking In
Colombian Refugees
His arrival was
spectacular, as a little
over 10:00am, four
helicopters touched down
in a field and emerging
from were two
presidents, Álvaro Uribe
of Colombia and his
host, Óscar Arias.
The two president
friends were on hand in
San Mateo de Orotina to
inaugurate the Parque
Nacional de la Cultura
Agropecuaria (Panaca), a
natural park that was
built with Costa Rican
and Colombian capital.
Followed by bodyguards
and the press, both
leaders, took a tour of
the park, taking in the
breathtaking scenery and
animals that the natural
park has to offer.
Uribe looked happy, but
his face could not hide
completely the tragedies
and the insecurity that
his country lives at the
hands of the Fuerzas
Armadas Revolucionarias
de Colombia (FARC) the
rebel group known as the
guerilla.
"The only worry I have
is that these are hours
that I enjoy very much,
however, they are hours
I take away from my
fundamental duties, to
be in the fields of
Colombia, with soldiers
and police defeating
terrorism", said Uribe.
The Colombian president
did not respond to
questions on his
position of the proposal
by Venezueal president,
Hugo Chávez, to remove
the FARC from the list
of organized terrorists
after releasing two
hostages last week.
"Do you all know what
the guerilla has
Colombia", asked Uribe
to the crowd before him.
"It has left Colombia
with 30.000 terroristas
guerilleros (rebel
terrorists), 2 million
displaced Colombians and
4 million Colombian who
had to find refuge in
foreign lands; some of
which were blessed,
surrounded by luck,
found refuge in the
friendly arms of the the
great Costa Rican
nation", Uribe answering
his own question.
"Every day Colombia
reminds us that hate
cannot conquer; that we
cannot give up one inch
of democracy for a mile
of security", said
Arias.
By 2:00pm the two
presidents mounted the
whirlybirds and were
off.
Arias and Uribe have
been sharing time since
Monday when both leaders
were in attendance of
the swearing in ceremony
of Alvaro Colom in
Guatemala.
During the visit no
"formal" conversations
were held nor any
"official" agreements
were entered into, only
a dialogue betweent two
men who know well armed
conflict. |
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