Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

was first elected. But the question remains and one that will be examined next: does time needed for
change override the principles and laws that a country is built on?
The principle of a thing such as a Constitution
Now that the positive aspects of allowing Uribe to run a third time have been examined, a look at
the opposite end of the spectrum is necessary. The question here is simply: Why should he not run again?
This section will look at a philosophical view and a practical view of the debate and answer unfavorably on
the proposal to allow Uribe a third election.
To begin, Wall Street Journal journalist Mary Anastasia O’Grady writes in her article on Uribe’s
constitutional battle,
“In a republic, institutional order is bound by a rule of law designed to protect the
rights of individuals against each other and against the power of the state. Property rights,
civil liberties, and human progress all fare better when state actors, even those who are
wildly popular, are constrained by institutional checks and balances.”
While it is good that Uribe has reestablished the rule of law and personal security in
Colombia, it does not make sense for him to only use the rule of law when it benefits him and tuck
it away when it becomes a nuisance. It can also be argued that it seems Uribe does not want to let
go of the presidency as he has become accustomed to the power. This can be a bad mentality in
Latin America especially. The preverbal authoritarian ruler on horseback, which has become the
stereotype of presidents and heads of state in Latin America for years, is never far away in their
train of thought. For this exact reason Colombia and many other Latin American countries put a
cap on one term so that Colombians would not be stifled by an authoritative dictator as they did in
the past.
While on that subject, analogies have been made to other notable Latin American heads of
state that have changed the law to their liking. In an article for the Wall Street Journal by David
Luhnow, a United States official is quoted saying, “A third term doesn’t set a good precedent,
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