One too many

From the day he assumed office in 2002, President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia showed that he was the right man for the job. He took a country that existed under a perpetual, if undeclared, state of siege to something resembling normalcy by weakening and nearly destroying a Marxist-led insurgency, a goal that eluded a series of predecessors at Nariño Palace.

This remarkable achievement is a tribute to his energetic leadership. Unfortunately, Mr. Uribe and his supporters could destroy this legacy by seeking to extend his tenure for an unprecedented third term.

For Mr. Uribe to succumb to this political temptation would be a mistake, both for himself and for his country. Instead of being seen as the hero who brought Colombia back from the brink of chaos, he would be viewed as an ego-burdened politician seeking personal gratification. Instead of strengthening Colombia's institutions, he would weaken them by imposing a personalist brand of politics on the national government.
 
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