Outgoing President Alvaro Uribe has no intention of leaving Colombia, as many former presidents have, but instead has grand plans to create an online university and try his hand at journalism, reports Semana.
Ex-presidents such as Ernesto Samper, Andres Pastrana, and Cesar Gaviria all took postings abroad before returning to Colombia to become bastions of their respective parties, but Uribe recently ruled out any move abroad.
“I don’t think an ambassadorship, but not out of fear,” Uribe told W Radio recently when asked whether he would seek a diplomatic post following his presidency.
When pressed on his plans following his departure from the Casa de Nariño, Uribe said that he wanted to “work for the country to help create a mass university, and start an online newspaper.”
According to the Semana article, both the university and newspaper plans could be a way of continuing to influence public policy, as Uribe’s views will have considerable political weight, and having a media platform could help him maintain his so-called “democratic security” policies.
