President Uribe has offered the post of Ambassador to Paris to former President Ernesto Samper Pizano, as a replacement for Miguel Gomez Martinez. This appointment awaits approval by the French government.

Last Friday Colombian President Uribe offered this post to Samper Pizano (1994-1998) who has been living in Paris fro some months.

According to reports Uribe had initially considered Samper for the post of Ambassador to UNESCO, who's Headquarters are in Paris because the former president has already worked with this organisation.

Samper is a member of the Liberal party in Colombia that are in opposition to Uribe's government but nevertheless last May; Samper supported Uribe in these elections.

This is the same Ernesto Samper that Ingrid Betancourt denounced openly in Congress during his presidency, showing proof that he had been elected with the help of drug trafficking money.