Quote

Ten years ago, we were seen as a virtually failed state, but today we are a vibrant democracy. You can walk safely through the streets of Bogota these days.

Juan Manuel Santos

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Juan Manuel Santos
Age: 73
Born: 1951
Born: August 10
Economist
Journalist
Lawyer
Politician
President Of Colombia
Bogota
Colombia
Juan Manuel Santos Calderón
Seen
Virtually
State
Failed
States
Ten
Today
Streets
Years
Walk
Walks
Democracy
Vibrant
Days
Safely

More quotes by Juan Manuel Santos

Image
Right here, in this same headquarters, 52 years ago, the Convention that gave the birth certificate to the war on drugs was approved.
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
One doesn't make peace with one's friends. One makes peace with one's enemies.
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
Europe would be well advised to pay more attention to Latin America. The emerging economies are the engines of the global economy. Colombia has done too little to improve its reputation in Europe.
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
We must rebuild Colombia, starting with ourselves, our hearts, put resentment aside, put hatred aside, put envy aside. The only thing that those attitudes accomplish is to sow violence and sow death and suffering.
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
If we act together on the drug problem, with a comprehensive vision devoid of ideological or political biases, we will be able to prevent much harm and violence!
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
Waging war is much more popular than negotiating, because there you need to compromise.
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
If you analyze the production of coca in Colombia, you will realize that it is like economic cycles. It goes up and down, it goes up and down depending on the circumstances.
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
I fight terrorism as if there was no peace process, and I negotiate the peace process as if there was no terrorism.
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
To make peace, it is necessary to know how to make war.
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
Colombia has a huge variety of plant and animal species, and we have enormous potential. Small and mid-sized companies should come to Colombia. From here, they have access to the entire Latin American market.
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
If we are giving judicial benefits to one part, we should give them to the other part as well.
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
I've not lived one single day of peace in Colombia, and 90 percent of people here say the same thing. We have gotten used to living in a war - we don't even react to massacres.
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
We have had this happen in the past, right in Colombia: there were amnesties for everybody, guerrilla members were elected mayors, senators. Today there are senators who are - who were previously guerrillas.
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
There are times for making war and times for making peace.
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
At this moment, I don't think people would back the old-fashioned Marxist-Leninist ideas of FARC. But I do hope that the rebels will continue to pursue their agenda by legal means and not through violence.
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
I say this as the president of the country which has suffered more deaths, more blood and more sacrifices in this war.
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
Social housing, education, health, jobs and sustainable surroundings. Those are my priorities.
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
I don't like to generate too many expectations.
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
Democracy is like three oxen pulling a plough. The oxen are the independent powers, but you have to walk in the same direction otherwise, you cannot plough and that is what was happening in Colombia. One ox was walking in one direction, the other in another direction, so the democracy was not working.
Juan Manuel Santos
Image
The rebels will be thinking about retaliation, what we have to do is stop stop and transform it into a spiral of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Juan Manuel Santos