Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has said that when his presidency ends he will devote his time to teaching and refrain from interfering in the affairs of succeeding heads of state, Caracol Radio reported Friday.
In a thinly-veiled swipe at former President Alvaro Uribe, who in recent weeks has been questioning the policies of the current administration, Santos stated that “maybe [the population] will see me, after this responsibility that the Colombian people have given me, lecturing as an ex-president and not bothering the succeeding presidents.”
Uribe has been outspoken in his criticism over the government’s decision to extradite the alleged drug lord Walid Makled to his home country Venezuela, rather than the U.S., claiming in contradiction to the administration that the U.S. first sought his extradition.
The former president also questioned the veracity of Santos’ recent announcement that Venezuela is no longer harboring FARC camps.
Incumbent Santos refrained from mentioning Uribe by name but added that “If [former presidential candidate] Mockus had beaten me I would [now] be a teacher, which is one of the most beautiful professions.”
