Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BOGOTA1001
2008-03-14 16:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bogota
Cable title:
URIBE'S 84 PERCENT APPROVAL RATING SPURS
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHBO #1001 0741606 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 141606Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1930 INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA IMMEDIATE 8099 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS IMMEDIATE 0113 RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAR 9323 RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA IMMEDIATE 6014 RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA IMMEDIATE 1399 RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO IMMEDIATE 6670 RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO IMMEDIATE 2064 RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL IMMEDIATE 4341 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 001001
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF PREL PTER DR EC VZ CO
SUBJECT: URIBE'S 84 PERCENT APPROVAL RATING SPURS
RE-ELECTION EFFORT
REF: 07 BOGOTA 8478
Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
URIBE: 84 PERCENT APPROVAL AND RISING
-------------------------------------
C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 001001
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF PREL PTER DR EC VZ CO
SUBJECT: URIBE'S 84 PERCENT APPROVAL RATING SPURS
RE-ELECTION EFFORT
REF: 07 BOGOTA 8478
Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
URIBE: 84 PERCENT APPROVAL AND RISING
--------------
1. (U) A Gallup poll taken March 4-6, shows President Uribe
with an all-time high 84 percent approval rating. Only 13
percent disapproved of his performance, the lowest figure
since 2002. The poll was taken prior to the Rio Group
meeting in Santo Domingo, and pollster Jorge Londono said the
Rio Group's result would likely further boost the president's
image. Sixty-seven percent of Colombian also registered a
favorable impression of the United States in the poll--up
from fifty percent in January. Londono said positive fallout
from USG support during Colombia's dispute with Ecuador and
Venezuela--as well as public recognition that Plan Colombia
has been key to recent GOC successes against the FARC--were
behind the increase.
RE-ELECTION DRIVE MOVES AHEAD
--------------
2. (U) Meanwhile, the U Party continued its effort to collect
signatures for a possible Uribe re-election bid--the first in
a series of multiple steps required to amend the constitution
to allow a third term. On March 11, the U Party presented
260,826 signatures to the National Registrar's office, far
more than the 140,000 needed for the Party to form a legal
committee to promote the third term initiative. The
Registrar's Office announced it would need one month to
review the validity of the signatures and approve formation
of the committee. Once formed, the committee would have six
month to collect a total of 1.4 million signatures (5 percent
of registered voters) to present a referendum proposal to
Congress. The amendment process will take between 12-18
months.
URIBE UNDECIDED ON THIRD TERM
--------------
3. (C) Presidential Communications director Jorge Mario
Eastman told us President Uribe has not decided what he will
do. The President understands that a third term could damage
Colombia's democratic institutions, and he is not motivated
by the perks of personal power. Still, Uribe believes--as
does much of the country--that he may be the only figure
capable of leading Colombia through the major regional and
domestic challenges it faces. Uribe will assess the
situation later in the amendment process, delaying his
decision as long as possible. Eastman stressed that Uribe
has not instructed anyone in the GOC or the Casa de Narino to
work on the U Party's reelection effort, nor has the process
factored into his decision-making while managing the recent
Ecuador/Venezuela crisis.
Brownfield
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF PREL PTER DR EC VZ CO
SUBJECT: URIBE'S 84 PERCENT APPROVAL RATING SPURS
RE-ELECTION EFFORT
REF: 07 BOGOTA 8478
Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
URIBE: 84 PERCENT APPROVAL AND RISING
--------------
1. (U) A Gallup poll taken March 4-6, shows President Uribe
with an all-time high 84 percent approval rating. Only 13
percent disapproved of his performance, the lowest figure
since 2002. The poll was taken prior to the Rio Group
meeting in Santo Domingo, and pollster Jorge Londono said the
Rio Group's result would likely further boost the president's
image. Sixty-seven percent of Colombian also registered a
favorable impression of the United States in the poll--up
from fifty percent in January. Londono said positive fallout
from USG support during Colombia's dispute with Ecuador and
Venezuela--as well as public recognition that Plan Colombia
has been key to recent GOC successes against the FARC--were
behind the increase.
RE-ELECTION DRIVE MOVES AHEAD
--------------
2. (U) Meanwhile, the U Party continued its effort to collect
signatures for a possible Uribe re-election bid--the first in
a series of multiple steps required to amend the constitution
to allow a third term. On March 11, the U Party presented
260,826 signatures to the National Registrar's office, far
more than the 140,000 needed for the Party to form a legal
committee to promote the third term initiative. The
Registrar's Office announced it would need one month to
review the validity of the signatures and approve formation
of the committee. Once formed, the committee would have six
month to collect a total of 1.4 million signatures (5 percent
of registered voters) to present a referendum proposal to
Congress. The amendment process will take between 12-18
months.
URIBE UNDECIDED ON THIRD TERM
--------------
3. (C) Presidential Communications director Jorge Mario
Eastman told us President Uribe has not decided what he will
do. The President understands that a third term could damage
Colombia's democratic institutions, and he is not motivated
by the perks of personal power. Still, Uribe believes--as
does much of the country--that he may be the only figure
capable of leading Colombia through the major regional and
domestic challenges it faces. Uribe will assess the
situation later in the amendment process, delaying his
decision as long as possible. Eastman stressed that Uribe
has not instructed anyone in the GOC or the Casa de Narino to
work on the U Party's reelection effort, nor has the process
factored into his decision-making while managing the recent
Ecuador/Venezuela crisis.
Brownfield