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[[Image:Auv Uribe Official.jpg|right|200px]]

[[Image:Auv Uribe Official.jpg|right|200px]]

'''Alvaro Uribe Velez''' (July 4th, 1952 - ) is an Ex-President of the Republic of [[Colombia]]. Alvaro Uribe was born in Medellin, capital of the department of Antioquia in Colombia.  Uribe holds a degree in law from the Universidad de Antioquia and a post-graduate degree in Management and Administration from Harvard University. From 1998 to 1999 after being awarded the [[Simon Bolivar]] fellowship by the British Council in Bogotá, he worked as an associate professor at Oxford University. Uribe has maintained a steadfast alliance with the United States. Uribe was elected as President in 2002 and re-elected in 2006, by large majorities.

'''Alvaro Uribe Velez''' (July 4, 1952 - ) is an Ex-President of the Republic of [[Colombia]]. Alvaro Uribe was born in Medellin, capital of the department of Antioquia in Colombia.  Uribe holds a degree in law from the Universidad de Antioquia and a post-graduate degree in Management and Administration from Harvard University. From 1998 to 1999 after being awarded the [[Simon Bolivar]] fellowship by the British Council in Bogotá, he worked as an associate professor at Oxford University. Uribe has maintained a steadfast alliance with the United States. Uribe was elected as President in 2002 and re-elected in 2006, by large majorities.

==Early career==

==Early career==

==Situation in Colombia==

==Situation in Colombia==

Uribe was democratically elected with 62 per cent of the vote and has built roads and lowered crime rates in major cities.  He has been harshly criticized by human rights groups for alleged violations of human rights. There are accusations that Uribe has personal connections to the United Self-Defence group of Colombia (AUC) terrorist group. The Colombian military is known to work hand-in-hand with this terrorist group because they share a common enemy, the leftist terrorist group [[Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia]] (FARC) <ref>[http://www.tkb.org/Group.jsp?groupID=96 Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)], Retrieved from the Terrorism Knowledge Base, June 4 2007.</ref>. Protestors in Washington and Bogota have leveled harsh criticism at Uribe and his regime. They allege of around 400 unionist killed in Colombia, there have been 10 convictions so far.<ref>http://colombiaherald.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/demonstrators-in-washington-call-uribe-an-assassin-pictures/</ref>. Amnesty International in a statement acknowledged, "undoubtedly, Colombia is facing an extremely difficult situation due to the action of armed groups refusing to respect international humanitarian law and to acknowledge the right of the civilian population to stay out of the hostilities" but "expressed dismay for the measures adopted to guarantee greater security are being aime at others whose security against abuses of power maybe undermined." <ref>http://web.amnesty.org/web/content.nsf/pages/gbr_colombia</ref>.

Uribe was democratically elected with 62 per cent of the vote and has built roads and lowered crime rates in major cities.  He has been harshly criticized by human rights groups for alleged violations of human rights. There are accusations that Uribe has personal connections to the United Self-Defence group of Colombia (AUC) terrorist group. The Colombian military is known to work hand-in-hand with this terrorist group because they share a common enemy, the leftist terrorist group [[Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia]] (FARC).<ref>[http://www.tkb.org/Group.jsp?groupID=96 Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)], Retrieved from the Terrorism Knowledge Base, June 4, 2007.</ref> Protestors in Washington and Bogota have leveled harsh criticism at Uribe and his regime. They allege of around 400 unionist killed in Colombia, there have been 10 convictions so far.<ref>http://colombiaherald.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/demonstrators-in-washington-call-uribe-an-assassin-pictures/</ref> Amnesty International in a statement acknowledged, "undoubtedly, Colombia is facing an extremely difficult situation due to the action of armed groups refusing to respect international humanitarian law and to acknowledge the right of the civilian population to stay out of the hostilities" but "expressed dismay for the measures adopted to guarantee greater security are being aime at others whose security against abuses of power maybe undermined.".<ref>http://web.amnesty.org/web/content.nsf/pages/gbr_colombia</ref>

== Presidential Medal of Freedom ==

== Presidential Medal of Freedom ==