MAIL CALL

NEWSWEEK, you were truly and grossly had! Communist guerrillas in Colombia, especially those known as the FARC, feed well-elaborated lies to poorly informed journalists. They even spend a lot of money buying columnists of the most influential international publications to discredit President Uribe, the first true enemy they have found in Colombia's troubled recent history. In fact, he is the No. 1 champion of the battle against terrorist gangs fueled by dope money. Your readers should know that FARC is not a political organization; it consists of drug producers and smugglers of the worst kind. They generate terror in little towns deep in the countryside and spread fear among farmers in their quest for political power. They are responsible for thousands of kidnappings, assassinations and disappearances. They abuse the liberty that our Constitution grants them and they have a few representatives elected to Congress whose job it is to disinform and spread calumny against President Uribe because he is winning the war against drug traffickers and terrorists.
Said Gutierrez
Madrid, Spain

Your article regarding the president of Colombia is unbecoming of a magazine of your stature. What was stated in that article is unsubstantiated. The intelligence report does not offer any actual proof of those accusations. It is common knowledge that Uribe's father's farm bordered Pablo Escobar's father's farm and the two elders shared a great interest in horses. It would be simple to assume that Uribe and Pablo Escobar knew each other. However, no one has ever shown that there were any established ties between the two. Uribe has enough enemies that, if this were true, it would have been investigated and prosecuted a long time ago. It is sad that your magazine decided to fuel a personal vendetta against a sitting president who is fighting a very difficult war against insurgents and right-wing paramilitaries. Do some more research, please.
J. David Perez
Clearwater, Florida

You argue that Alvaro Uribe had connections with paramilitary and narco groups. This information is false: our president has shown an excellent governing style. NEWSWEEK should be more careful with information that is not confirmed.
Carlos Arias
New York, New York

How dare you publish an unverified document with allegations that Colombia's president had connections with drug dealers, listing him in the same category as Pablo Escobar? Did you just pick up gossip from somewhere that fits your own political agenda? How dare you make such a strong statement about someone who has extradited more than 140 drug dealers to the United States? Nobody has confronted Colombia's conflict as President Uribe has. We are, for the first time in decades, winning this war--thanks to this administration. Ask the U.S. government about it. The Colombian people are so happy with Uribe that, for the first time in our history, we are considering changing our Constitution in order to re-elect him. After two years as president, his approval rating topped 80 percent.
Maria Mendoza
Bogota, Colombia