Washington Post
Colombia's new president lays out his vision in speech
August 9--Juan Manuel Santos catapulted to the presidency of Colombia after the armed forces, under his watch, delivered the biggest blows against the FARC rebel group in the country's long conflict.
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But his cabinet appointments since winning the presidency in June, and his speech Saturday after being sworn in as president, suggest marked differences in tone and style between him and his predecessor, Álvaro Uribe, in whose government Santos was defense minister for three years until 2009.
Though Uribe's security policies were widely supported, critics say he was a polarizing figure who weakened institutions, including the judiciary, while attacking opposition figures and human rights groups.
The following are comments from Santos, a 58-year-old economist educated in the United States, on issues ranging from poverty to the country's relations with Venezuela to the need to respect the separation of powers.
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