Good news from HACER,
Last Friday the Hispanic American Center for Economic Research (HACER) awarded Álvaro Uribe, the former President of Colombia, their Simón Bolívar Prize for his work on promoting liberty, security and democracy in Colombia and the Americas.
Uribe, who left office after completing his term with a 75% approval raiting, led the country during its most effective struggle against the FARC. During his tenure, murders dropped by 45 percent from 2002-2009, and kidnappings decreased by 90 percent. At the start of his administration nearly two-thirds of the country’s land was under the control of the FARC, which now has retreated to the more isolated regions of the country. The country’s economy also improved, as its poverty rate dropped from 54% to 46%.
During the award reception, Uribe spoke about what had been achieved in Colombia and about Latin America’s challenges. Among the attendees was Oscar Morales, founder of Un Millón de Voces contra las FARC (A Million Voices Against FARC). Ambassadors Otto Reich and Robert Noriega, and Congressman David Rivera (R-Fl) were also in the audience.
