Colombia’s ruling party and its allies have won a majority in the country’s congressional elections.

Today the people of Colombia will participate in the congressional elections, the Andean Parliament and referendums of two parties and will elect 102 senators, 166 members of the House of Representatives, 5 of the Andean Parliament and the presidential candidates of the Conservative Party and the Green Party.

The Colombian Constitutional Court ruled Friday against holding a referendum that could have cleared the way for President Alvaro Uribe to run for a third consecutive term.

Colombian president Uribe said to Chavez: “Be a man and stay to discuss face to face, you just insulted in the distance,” a news agency reported. Chavez’ answer was: “F… off”.

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is the president with the lowest approval rate in South America. She has the 20% followed by her Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo, with 25%.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said he was satisfied with the change of attitude of his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez, and considers it an element that will allow a better climate in relations between the two countries.

Colombia has said it will seek UN help after Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez instructed his military to ready “for war.”
“Faced with these threats of war by the government of Venezuela, the government of Colombia is weighing heading to the Organization of American States and UN Security Council,” said a statement from President Alvaro Uribe, read [...]

Colombian lawmakers passed a bill on Tuesday aimed at allowing President Alvaro Uribe to seek a third consecutive term if the conservative U.S. ally chooses to run for re-election next May.

Colombian authorities confirmed on Sunday that Álvaro Uribe, Colombia’s president, was infected with the virus H1N1 virus.

The presidents of the South American region who attended today’s summit of Unsaur reached a weak agreement, without any certain definitions on the U.S. military bases in Colombia. The issue will be treated again in the South American Defense Council in September along with many other issues involving all governments.

The Colombian president has defended the agreement with the U.S. as a “practical and effective assistance” in the fight against drug trafficking and terrorism.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe defended the pending U.S.-Colombian military pact Friday at the beginning of a special UNASUR summit on the deal and asked all South American countries to recognize the FARC as terrorists.

The leaders of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) will participate in a brief summit in the Llao Llao Hotel in Bariloche, with the agenda marked by the conflict unleashed by military agreement between Colombia and the United States.

Around three thousand police officers will be guarding tomorrow’s summit where governors from South American nations will seek a solution to the tension originated by the American military bases settled in Colombia, which according to various officials under Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, represent a threat to the region.

The Union of South American Nations gathering of presidents was expecting two divisive issues, particularly the one referred to US forces deployed in Colombian bases and the Honduras crisis, to absorb much of the political debate.

Colombian forces killed at least 18 leftist guerrillas on Saturday in an aerial bombardment in the southern jungle province of Meta, the country’s military command said.

Barak Obama said that the military ouster of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was illegal and could set a “terrible precedent”

Colombian rebels will free a soldier held hostage for over 11 years as they look for ways to start peace talks with the government, the guerrillas said in a statement on Thursday.