Alvaro Uribe

It is not easy being a regional leader in Latin America. Pleasing the constituents in your own country is tough to begin with and then, if you have the profile of someone such as Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, there are the hopes of millions who see in you the potential to affect the most pressing political and economic issues of these polarized times.

For some in this city, that very president has fallen short of expectations and the day when Brazilians go to the polls to choose his successor, October 3rd, won’t come soon enough.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez loves a good rant, and in early November he directed his ire once again toward Colombia, warning of an imminent war between the two nations. "Prepare yourselves for war," Chavez instructed military commanders in a televised address on Nov. 8.

Days later, Chavez backed off his comments, claiming his words had been manipulated. But on Nov. 21 he announced the pending arrival of 300 tanks from Russia and again told his supporters they were obligated to prepare for combat.