COLOMBIA: A grenade attack on a nightclub in Bogota this weekend killed two people and injured 73 others as left-wing rebels stepped up their urban terror campaign in response to a government swoop on their rural strongholds.
"Colombian guerrillas have no principles," said Mr Uribe, in a televised address on Sunday. "They are kept alive by a perverse cocktail of terrorism and drugs."
Mr Uribe might have added that Colombia's entire political, judicial and security systems are thoroughly infiltrated by drug revenues. Ms Ingrid Betancourt, an independent politician kidnapped by FARC rebels 18 months ago, led a secret investigation, which revealed that two-thirds of congressional representatives received campaign funds from dubious sources.
Thousands of citizens took to the streets to repudiate the grenade attack yesterday, holding a candlelight vigil at the scene of the crime. Observers believe that the attack, which occurred in an upmarket district, was designed to send a message to foreigners and diplomats, who often frequent the area.
A series of rebel attacks on urban targets this year has also raised the spectre of suicide bombings as young rebel recruits are sent into built up areas to detonate bombs and grenades.
The Colombian army has suffered setbacks in recent weeks as army chief Mr Jorge Mora argued publicly with Defence Minister Ms Martha Lucia Ramirez over food rations and alleged corruption in the ranks.
Mr Uribe was elected to office last year on the back of a campaign pledge to end a chronic civil war that has displaced two million people and left large swathes of the countryside beyond state control. Mr Uribe's "democratic security" project curtailed individual rights and allowed army officials to replace civilians in conflictive areas.
Colombians initially backed the security crackdown but, when Mr Uribe put his reforms to the test via a referendum last month, 75 per cent of voters rejected his political programme.
A day later, Mr Luis Garzon, a prominent left-wing critic of Mr Uribe, was elected mayor of Bogota, the second-most important post in the country.
Last week Ms Lucia Ramirez resigned her post after a public disagreement with Mr Uribe over the origins of a rocket attack on the offices of Fedegan, the country's federation of landowners. Mr Mora, subsequently resigned, along with the nation's police chief, Mr Teodro Campo. The three ousted officials constituted the backbone of Mr Uribe's national security plan.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Mr Fernando Londono was forced to resign a fortnight ago after he publicly suggested that Mr Uribe might call early elections to determine whether he had sufficient support to finish his presidential term, which ends in 2006.
Mr Uribe is an unconditional ally of the Bush administration and offered to send troops when the invasion of Iraq began earlier this year, despite overwhelming opposition by Colombian citizens. The US has provided $2.5 billion to Colombia for its fight against rebels and drugs, a long-term commitment that opposition figures fear could end up in military intervention.
"The security plan simply isn't working," commented political analyst Mr Javier Guerrero.