The landslide re-election of Alvaro Uribe as president of Colombia heralds closer ties with the US, but hawks in Washington hoping Colombia will play an active role in offsetting radical populism in the region look set to be disappointed.

Mr Uribe won 62.2 per cent of the vote on Sunday, making him the first Colombian president in a century to enter office for a consecutive term, a ringing endorsement by voters of his tough security policies.