Alvaro Uribe is the President of Colombia, the most popular and respected leader in South America with a peak popularity in his country reaching 84% during mid 2008, he is also the best allied of the United States in the region. Uribe´s presidency is viewed as the last bastion of democracy in a region plagued by communist ideologies and leaders opposed to the US. His hard line position against leftist terrorist groups put him many times on a collision course and often getting the upper hand over the neighboring communist leaders of Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia or Nicaragua. http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/CMS-4007494

During 2008 he reached the pinnacle of his presidency raising the pole to new heights and achieving great victories over the FARC terrorist group. One of them, the Operation Jaque (as in Chess game move Check) where the Colombian Armed Forces performed the daring rescue of 15 FARC held hostages, most of them with 10 years in captivity. Among them, former Colombian senator Ingrid Betancourt, US hostages Thomas Howes, Keith Stansel, Marc Gonsalves and 11 Colombian military men. This operation is regarded as one of the most ambitious and daring in military history, achieved without firing one single shot. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Jaque

On March 1, 2008, Colombian Army, Air Force and the National Police elite group called Junglas (Jungle Commandos) attacked the FARC terrorist group 1 mile inside Ecuador border in the south; this was known as Operation Phoenix. The attack was based on intelligence gathered by Colombia military and ended with the death of FARC No. 1 in command Raul Reyes and 16 other rebels. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7272832.stm

The President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, in support of that terrorist organization mobilized tanks and troops to the Colombian northern border, deceptively masking his response as a defensive posture for the 'Colombian aggression on Ecuador'. The incident lasted a week before Chavez was forced by the people of Venezuela to diffuse the treat and return their bulling army to their bases. This was another victory for president Alvaro Uribe in an incredible year for Colombia and its Armed Forces. http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/278-venezuela-sends-troops-to-colombia-border.html

On January 13, 2009, US president George W. Bush presented the president of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The medal is the United States highest civil award. George W. Bush also awarded the medal to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Australia Prime Minister John Howard.Huffington Post: Bush Chooses Uribe, Blair, Howard For Medal Of Freedom (January 5, 2009)

• 1952: Born in July 4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvaro_Uribe_Velez Born

• 1977: Earned law degree from the University of Antioquiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Antioquia

• 1980: Elected Director of Aerocivil - Colombia´s Civil Aeronautical Administration

• 1986: Elected as a Senator for the Antioquia regionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioquia

• 1993: Attended Harvard University for a course in conflict negotiation

• 1995: Elected Governor of Antioquia province and implemented his Communitarian modelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communitarian

• 2002: Elected President of Colombiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Presidents_of_Colombia

• 2004: Successfully campaigned for an amendment to the Colombian Constitution], allowing a second term re-electionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombian_Constitution_of_1991

• 2006: Alvaro Uribe was re-elected for second term until 2010http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombian_presidential_election%2C_2006

• 2007: Received the "Light on to the Nations" Award from the American Jewish Committeehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Jewish_Committee

• 2008: Achieved military victories with Operation Phoenix and Operation Jaque