Profile: Antanas Mockus, Green Party candidate for Colombian election

Antanas Mockus, a former Bogota mayor, is the candidate of the Green Party for the Colombian presidential election scheduled for Sunday.

Mockus is expected to have a tight competition with Juan Manuel Santos of the ruling Social National Unity Party.

Mockus served as mayor of Bogota from 1995-1997 and 2001-2003, when he improved the management of public resources and the shared responsibility between the government and citizens.

During his tenure as mayor, Mockus managed to reduce local homicide rates by 45 percent. He launched a reform on fuel and outlined plans of massive public transportation to improve the city's traffic.

During his presidential campaign, he pledged to continue the "policy of democratic security," a program advocated by outgoing President Alvaro Uribe to fight illegal armed groups.

Mockus was born in Bogota on March 25, 1952.

Mockus received his education at the Dijon University in France and the National University of Colombia.

In 2007, Mockus founded the Visionary Movement for Colombia and by the end of 2009 he decided to join the Green Party, along with Bogota's former mayors Enrique Penalosa and Lucho Garzon.

Source: Xinhua