Columbians are voting for a new president, and if the opinion polls are to be believed President Alvaro Uribe looks set to be re-elected for a second term.

Uribe is described as a conservative hardliner, an ally of the US in a region that has been increasingly moving to the political left. There are half a dozen presidential candidates in total. The man said to be running second to Uribe is Carlos Gaviria. He belongs to a party called Democratic Pole and has been promising more social spending if he wins. Security has been tight for these elections.

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