Colombian President Alvaro Uribe swept to an election victory last night as voters rewarded him for confronting paramilitaries and drug traffickers.
In Colombia's most peaceful election in years, Mr Uribe, a key ally of the United States, won a second four years in office with 62 per cent of the vote.
The key to Mr Uribe's expected success was a crackdown on the right-wing militias and leftist Farc rebels, who use the profits from supplying cocaine and heroin to US consumers to sustain their insurgency.
Opponents say he must now address the challenge of poverty and unemployment in Colombia. Critics also say he must ensure his tough security policies do not result in increased human rights abuses.
His victory was good news for Washington, which is alarmed by a rising tide of leftist leaders and anti-US sentiment in Latin America led by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Washington has pumped more military aid into Colombia than any other country outside the Middle East in the past four years.