Beyond its impact on parties and the party system, President Alvaro Uribe’s reelection raises questions about the future shape of Colombia’s democratic polity. In a country where for almost two centuries, presidential terms have generally been four years, having a president in power for eight continuous years is a substantial break with tradition that may yield unforeseen consequences. In order to overcome the internal armed conflict that Colombia has been facing for the last several decades perhaps the country needed to extend the time horizon of its government as the best guarantee for the continuity of a policy that has had some successes.