The politically green alternative

The politically green alternative

When Antanas Mockus, the former mayor of Bogota and the Green party candidate for Colombian presidency in the coming elections, announced he suffered from Parkinson's disease, everybody here thought his chances to win were over.

But they were not. In fact, they increased.

This eccentric university professor is running 10 points behind in latest opinion polls from Juan Manuel Santos, the former minister of defence and mega millionaire who has vowed to continue with President Alvaro Uribe's fight against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc).

Mockus managed to cut the murder rate in Bogota during his two terms as mayor and has the clean image that, in many circles here, the government lacks. And that, it seems, is his greatest strength.

Santos is for many an extension of Uribe and has vowed to continue with his agenda to exterminate the Farc. Uribe continues to enjoy enormous popularity among Colombians for his Democratic Security Policy that has pushed left wing guerrillas out of urban areas and into the jungle.

Santos was his defence minister when the Colombian military, with the help of US intelligence, killed Raul Reyes; the Farc's number two, on Ecuadorian soil. There was talk of war with Venezuela after that attack.

But in spite of the success against the Farc, there have been other issues that worry many here, such as illegal wiretaps of political opponents, judges and journalists and the "Parapolitics" scandal in which around 90 members of congress are being investigated and some are already in jail for their links with right wing paramilitary groups and drug trafficking organisations. Most of them belong to Uribe's party.

So it's not strange that Antanas Mockus has become the other option, in spite of his illness and his eccentric look.

Mockus enjoys support among the business community for embracing market friendly policies and for his call for transparency. During the presidential debate on Sunday night he said that an attack against the Farc on foreign soil would be unthinkable.

Mockus' biggest challenge is to appeal to people outside Bogota.

I’m currently in Choco, one of the poorest regions in Colombia where many don't even know who he is. Here many couldn’t even watch the presidential debate because in some areas there is no electricity. But there is still over a month to go to the election and it will be interesting to see whether he will be able to appeal to those who cannot even afford a TV set.