Juan Manuel Santos, Colombian president: "I am not backing away from the US"

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos not only won last year's election with nearly 70 percent of the popular vote - the highest percentage in recent history - but for the moment, it is difficult to find a single voice, even among those who were suspicious of his rise to power, to say anything openly against him. After his first 100 days in office, his approval rating is more than 90 percent.

Sitting in his office, I asked him about this rare show of support that has grown during his first months in office. He surprised even his own supporters and confused his critics, who have now come to applaud some of his first decisions. Perhaps this was all planned-out strategy.

"No, not at all. This has all emerged spontaneously," Santos replied. "But I also believe that what has emerged was part of my way of thinking, which has been no secret. I had been writing for a long time about everything I'm doing. I come from a very liberal family, liberal in the political sense. I think this country needs to move forward in terms of social justice. We need to progress rapidly to heal the wounds that the violence has left, and that has forced us to recall and address the past and not the future. If we can heal those wounds and better distribute wealth, no one would be able to stop this country from stepping forward."

"I come from a very liberal family, in the political sense. I think this country needs to move forward in terms of social justice."

Q. Where do you plan to get the fiscal resources needed to build a viable state? Do you think you can obtain it without confronting the rich and powerful?

A. Colombia has had a tradition of macroeconomic prudence and responsibility. The economy is growing at a fast rate. There's a wide open field in the way we can increase our resources and this is what we are concentrating on. Our development plan has a revenue projection consistent with the expenses we have. And we're in the middle of a mining and oil bonanza that will give us enough resources, I hope, to do what is in the plan over the next four years.

Q. You are designing a vision for Colombia that seems rather difficult to complete in just four years.

A. I'm working with all the dedication, intensity and speed possible to do so in four years, because I have a great conviction, and the most important thing for any country are its institutions. But if you're asking me if I'm thinking about reelection...

Q. Indeed, I am asking whether you will run for reelection.

A. Then the answer is no. I hope not to run for reelection and that everything is completed in four years.

Q. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez pledged not to allow the presence of illegal armed groups in his country. Do you know whether he has closed down FARC camps?

A. Not that we are aware of, but that can't be done overnight. He has pledged to uphold a non-presence policy of such groups and we are seeing more guerrillas on our side. And for the first time he is turning over people caught there. I hope this continues because it is very important for us.

Q. In any case, no one believes that Chávez is your "new best friend," not even him.

A. I said it ironically, but it is very clear that I want a cordial and constructive relationship with him. It is very good for Venezuela, and for Colombia.

Q. Some people believe or fear, or claim to believe or fear, that Colombia is moving away from the United States. What is the basis for this?

A. None whatsoever. I am very pro-American, and I will continue to be very pro-American, but that does not stop me from being a friend to other countries. Perhaps what we are doing is diversifying our international relations and not relying so much on the United States. But in no way does my approach toward other countries mean that I am backing away from the United States.

Q. The new closeness with Chávez may have influenced the feeling.

A. The Americans are very pleased with the closeness with Chávez because it means that the region won't be a focal point for conflict and difficulty.

Q. The other issue is the freezing of the authorization given to US troops to use bases in Colombia.

A. I do not think they are worried about that. They understood perfectly that there is no change here compared to what we had wanted before. What happened was that there was very poor management by the American government and the Colombian government in explaining what that agreement meant, and it allowed a storm to brew in a teacup.

Q. There seems to be a feeling that many Colombians do not understand why they still don't have a free-trade agreement (FTA) given that they are considered strategic allies with the United States.

A. It's a growing sentiment. Ordinary Colombians often do not understand American domestic politics - the difficulties between the parties. It has been too long, more than four years. Other than access to markets, the most important part of the treaty are the rules for investment. This really could have hurt us a bit. But look at the irony. The United States stands to win from this treaty because they have to pay tariffs for their products to enter Colombia and they are losing out.