Colombian president jeered during public speech

Colombian president Alvaro Uribe was jeered during a speech yesterday where he defended his security policy. "I won't hand over one millimeter to the criminals" declared Uribe while part of a crowd booed and called him an “assassin” as well as a friend of right-wing paramilitary groups.

Uribe was mocked while speaking at Bogota’s main square to welcome Gustavo Moncayo- a 55-year-old teacher who spent seven weeks walking all over the Colombia in a campaign for the freeing of kidnap victims. (Moncayo’s son has been held hostage for ten years by leftist guerillas). Yet Moncayo engaged in a debate with Uribe after the president claimed that he would set aside a special zone for negotiations with guerillas:

“I don’t agree with those that claim our policy as violent” said the president. “Our policy of ‘democratic security’ is to free the country from guerillas and paramilitaries.”

“There will be kidnappings as long as there is poverty” said Moncayo to Uribe. “(The hostages) remain kidnapped and the victims are caught in the middle of a political game between the government and the FARC. This is very painful.”

Sources (English)- International Herald Tribune, BBC News, Monsters & Critics

Sources (Spanish)- El Tiempo, RCN

Image- BBC News (Gustavo Moncayo is comforted by a supporter after arriving in Bogota)