In February 2010, the Constitutional Court struck down Uribe's bid for a third term as unconstitutional, forcing him to step down after two terms. The lesson is this: Where institutional channels exist, opposition groups should use them.
In February 2010, Colombia's Constitutional Court ruled against President Uribe's attempt to run for a third term, declaring it unconstitutional. This decision mandated that Uribe complete his two terms in office, emphasizing the importance of upholding constitutional limits on presidential power. The ruling highlighted the role of institutional checks in maintaining democratic integrity.
The takeaway from this situation, as discussed in Steven Levitsky's book "How Democracies Die," is that opposition groups must leverage existing institutional mechanisms to challenge authority effectively. By using the tools provided by democratic frameworks, they can protect and strengthen democratic governance against threats.
