Review by Choice Review
This is the fourth book on contemporary Colombia and its endemic violence by country expert Kline (Alabama). It covers the second term of conservative president Álvaro Uribe, a dominating and controversial politician. The book assesses the Uribe administration on two levels: narrowly in terms of specific policies fighting revolutionary and paramilitary groups and broadly in terms of state building in a country that throughout its history has had problems with state control and geographic penetration. Vital conceptual and historical context is provided, including Uribe's first term and, in the epilogue, the presidency of his successor, Juan Manuel Santos. The book provides particular focus on the issues of executive-judicial conflict, the rule of law, and government scandals involving violations of human rights and is based on careful, thorough research, including three dozen interviews in Bogotá and Washington, DC. Overall, the book is impressive in its detail and insights and provides a truly balanced assessment of the successes and failures of Uribe's second term. It is important for scholars and students of Latin America and, more generally, those interested in the challenges of state building and combating insurrections. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. --Alan Siaroff, The University of Lethbridge
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review