Elect Juan Valdez!

The - let's call it - Supreme Court of Colombia has ruled decisively that President Uribe can't run for a third consecutive term, in spite of a law that was adopted overwhelmingly that would allow him to do so. Originally elected in 2002, in 2006 he managed to get a law passed that allowed him to run for a second consecutive term. In his third time at bat, he has struck out.

But, wait a second. Isn't he the same guy that has had a running feud with Chávez, calling him all sorts of names and decrying his antidemocratic practices, including his attempt to perpetuate himself in power?

This has to be one of the great hypocrisies of all time. While he was berating Chávez over everything - acting on behalf of his American "friends", I might add - Uribe was laying the groundwork to stay in power as long as his much-maligned neighbor. Through all this, the United States, so ready to condemn Chávez for everything, has said nothing about its Colombian "partner's" ambitions to remain President for four more years, in spite of constitutional limits.

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