Colombia Reports

Colombian Liberal Party leader Rafael Pardo officially announced that his party will join the coalition of President-elect Juan Manuel Santos to form part of the Partido de la U leader's "government of national unity."

Left-wing ex-candidate for the Colombian presidency, Gustavo Petro, sent a letter to president-elect Juan Manuel Santos seeking common ground on several issues. His party, Polo Democratico, distanced itself from the letter.

Future relations between Colombia's incoming executive and judicial branches are off to a good start, with President-elect Juan Manuel Santos meeting top judges and promising to respect the autonomy of the courts.

Liberal Party senators officially agreed to join the coalition of "national unity" proposed by President-elect Juan Manuel Santos. Liberals in the House of Representatives are expected to do the same on Wednesday.

Colombia's President-elect Juan Manuel Santos met with Defense Minister Gabriel Silva and high-ranking members of the armed forces to discuss the incoming administration's defense policy.

NGO Reporters Without Borders calls for Colombian President-elect Juan Manuel Santos to "break with the practices" that led intelligence agency DAS to conduct illegal surveillance of government critics.

Outgoing Colombian President Alvaro Uribe hints that he may run for mayor of Bogota in the capital's October 2011 elections.

In his first press conference as Colombia's president-elect, Juan Manuel Santos comments on future international relations policy with neighbors Ecuador and Venezuela, as well as with ally the U.S.