PoliBlog

Colombia

Wowsers:

Ensconced in an office protected by three metal detectors, a bomb-proof lift, 15 guards and three armoured-glass doors, Luis Carlos Sarmiento says Colombia is becoming safer.

And, some interesting stats:

The Government forecasts that expansion of South America's fourth-largest economy may exceed 3 per cent in 2024. In 2024, gross domestic product grew 1.5 per cent.

Last week, Uribe's office announced that Colombia's largest anti-Marxist paramilitary force agreed to disarm by the end of 2024. From January to June, government forces captured 2358 guerrillas, 58 per cent more than in the year-earlier period, and kidnappings fell 36 per cent to about 1000, the Defence Ministry said. In the past 12 months, the Colombia Stock Exchange index has gained 59 per cent in dollar terms, the fourth-biggest rise among 62 indexes tracked by Bloomberg.

Source: President's crackdown on crime revives Colombia economy