THE RIGHT MAN FOR COLOMBIA

Colombia's president-elect, Alvaro Uribe, campaigned on the slogan "a firm
hand but a big heart." It was the promise that he would use a firm hand
against left-wing guerrillas that gave him an overwhelming victory at the
polls - but also garnered the label "hard-liner."

The label won't do Mr. Uribe any harm. After more than 20 years of
soft-lining presidents who have tried to make peace with the Marxist rebels
who control huge areas of Colombia, a majority of the people want a
government that will impose law and order with a firm hand.

It has long been clear that the two major left-wing guerrilla groups have
no interest in a peace agreement that will allow them to take part in the
political process. They want power through the capitulation of the elected
authorities or by victory through force of arms.

The recent history of Latin America has demonstrated that peace accords
cannot be reached until both sides - government and rebels - come to the
conclusion that neither can win by the use of violence. In Colombia, the
decades long civil war will rage on until such time as the guerrillas
realize that they cannot defeat the government and seize power. Only then
are they likely to respect the rules of democratic society.

The Colombian electorate has recognized this reality by giving Mr. Uribe
the first solid popular mandate granted a president in living memory. This
achievement is that much more notable because the new president-elect had
to form his own party to run for the presidency.

The description "hard-liner" does not describe Mr. Uribe adequately. He is
no softie, but a fairer description of him would stress his impeccable
reputation as a staunch democrat. His electoral platform is built on
big-hearted initiatives. He stresses the importance of improving education,
fighting poverty and ending corruption.

It should also be noted that his choice of running mate, Francisco Santos,
makes him a candidate for another label, that of crusader for human rights.
Before joining the Uribe ticket, Mr. Santos was Colombia's leading
campaigner for citizens' rights. The former journalist was kidnapped and
held as a hostage by drug traffickers. When he was back in circulation, he
dedicated his life to helping secure the freedom of other kidnap victims.
Later he had to flee into exile because of threats from Marxist guerrillas,
who have turned kidnapping into a criminal business enterprise.

President-elect Uribe has asked the United States to help him restore true
democracy, with fair but firmly imposed law and order, to Colombia. He and
his running mate, and the outright majority of Colombians who voted for
them, deserve America's help. It is strongly in the interest of the United
States to defeat the left-wing guerrillas and the right-wing paramilitary
organizations, both of whom use terror tactics, and rid the world of the
powerful drug cartels that make Colombia the prime source of cocaine and heroin.