Surge in Colombia rebel attacks hits Uribe in poll
Source: Reuters
BOGOTA, Colombia, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's popularity has fallen 11 points as Colombians worry about security during a surge in rebel attacks marring the start of his second term, a poll showed on Friday. Guerrillas from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, attacked a police post on Wednesday, killing 19 people in one of the worst strikes against Uribe's U.S.-financed campaign to end Latin America's longest-running insurgency. Uribe's popularity fell last month to 66 percent from 77 percent in June amid concerns about his handling of security, military scandals and the economy, according to a Gallup Colombia/Invamer poll carried out from Oct. 26 to 29. One of Washington's key allies in Latin America, Uribe was re-elected in a landslide in May after Colombians applauded his security crackdown that has slashed violence and kidnapping from the Andean nation's four-decade war. "The climate of optimism has declined significantly across the board ... undoubtedly the attacks on security forces have broadcast the message that they will not be able to defeat the guerrillas," Invamer pollster Jorge Londono said. The poll was carried out as the FARC, the country's largest Marxist rebel group, launched a two-week offensive that has scuttled hopes of talks with the guerrillas over releasing hostages they hold, including three U.S. contract workers. Two weeks ago, a car bomb exploded at a Bogota military college, injuring 10 people. Uribe blamed the FARC and sent troops to track down the hostages and rescue them. Another bomb killed two people outside a military base days later. The rebel group says it is fighting for socialism to address poverty. Washington brands the group a terrorist organization financed by drug trafficking. The poll surveyed 1,000 people in Bogota, Medellin, Cali and Barranquilla and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
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