My column about no honeymoon between Colombia and Venezuela seems to have become true faster than I expected. Granted, I was talking about the relationship under the Santos presidency, but last week’s events on that front were very worrying, nonetheless.

Our editor published a column Sunday saying that Ingrid Betancourt has “a legal if not a moral right to compensation”. The editor’s opinion in this matter is contrary to that of most people I have talked to, and so he must be commended for looking at the other side of this matter. Alas, I have to disagree with him.

Recently, an act of collective delusion, or collective wishful thinking, has been taking place in Colombia. Ever since Juan Manuel Santos was elected president, media pundits and politicians have been talking about the hope of improving relations with Venezuela.

In just one week, Juan Manuel Santos has built a political coalition of a size not seen since the time of the National Front (1958-1974). After Mr. Santos’ historic victory in the election, almost all of Colombia’s political class has flocked to the president-elect’s side.

President Alvaro Uribe made sure that future Colombian governments remember him, leaving them with last-minute infrastructure consessions valued at $13.6 billion.

The first round of the Colombian presidential election is very near, and the green wave of Antanas Mockus has taken the country by surprise. My column of March 29, when I wrote that “Juan Manuel Santos seems poised to become Colombia’s next president” is now as dated as those hideous LCD watch/calculators of the 80s.