Bush Ally Wins in Colombia to Halt Swing to Left in Region

George Bush rallied yesterday to the victory of his closest ally in Latin America, the Colombian president, Alvaro Uribe, after he won a landslide second election on Sunday.

The US president called Mr Uribe to congratulate him on a victory that gives America some relief from a political tilt to the left in South America that has brought a string of anti-American leaders to power.

The leaders of Brazil and Argentina are moderate leftists, and the more hard-left governments of Venezuela and Ecuador have gained new allies with the elections of leftwing populists in Chile and Bolivia in the past six months. Leftwing candidates are also performing strongly in the run-up to elections in Mexico and Peru.

But Colombia is a conservative country and Mr Uribe is an ally of the US, which has given more than $3bn (£1.6bn) in aid to fight drugs and guerrillas.

A senior US state department official visiting Bogotá last week indicated that an Uribe win could mark the beginning of a shift in the political landscape back towards the right. "We still have a bunch of elections to go [in Latin America]. By the time the year is over with, the swing to the left may not be so evident any more," the state department official said.

Analysts say a second Uribe term will face increasing demands for improved security and more social investment to address huge social inequalities. Half the population lives in poverty despite unprecedented economic growth in the past four years. "We must work ... to achieve the enduring wellbeing that our people and future generations of Colombians deserve," Mr Uribe told supporters in a sombre victory speech on Sunday.

After containing the advance of leftist guerrillas, who, at the start of his first term, were encroaching on the cities, analysts say Mr Uribe will be under pressure to force the rebels to negotiate.

"In a second Uribe term, sooner or later, there will be peace talks between the government and Farc," security analyst Alfredo Rangel said, referring to Colombia's powerful Marxist insurgent army.

Critics warn that Mr Uribe's victory may bring more marked heavy-handed policies.