Colombian leader holds town hall meeting in East Boston

Hundreds of Colombians poured into East Boston High School’s auditorium early yesterday morning to greet President Álvaro Uribe, who has achieved folk hero status in this immigrant enclave for reducing violent crime in the South American nation, and for taking a hard line against drug trafficking and terrorism.

Dressed in a blue-striped shirt and wire-rimmed glasses, the graying leader hardly cut a dramatic figure as he stopped in Boston last week on an official visit to the United States. But the sight of him inspired Colombians to climb onto the wooden seats to snap photographs and chant his name.

“I don’t have the words to describe the feeling,’’ said Rubiel Patiño, a 50-year-old painter who lives in Maynard and traveled to Boston to see Uribe, wrapped in the Colombian flag. “The emotion is huge.’’

But Uribe’s conservative administration has also faced harsh criticism for alleged human rights abuses. In June, the group Human Rights Watch said Uribe was largely failing to address allegations of abuses and killings of civilians and trade unionists. Uribe is also facing criticism for possibly seeking a third term, which would require a change to the constitution.

Uribe, through a spokeswoman, declined two requests for an interview during his trip to Massachusetts last week. He spoke at Harvard on Friday and then yesterday, to 500 Colombians and others at East Boston High.

Yesterday marked the South American nation’s first town hall meeting in Massachusetts, which is home to at least 14,000 Colombians, according to the census.

Uribe spoke for more than an hour to a diverse group of immigrants - business owners, retirees, cooks, and housekeepers - holding forth on a wide range of topics, sometimes waving a pen in his hand or consulting a laptop on a nearby table.

He listed some of his administration’s achievements: Kidnappings and murders have plunged, health care is more widespread, and so is education. But he acknowledged that unemployment is high, the country has been at war for 45 years, and people still leave to work in the United States to send money home.

“What I’ve come to tell you isn’t new,’’ he said from the stage, adorned with flowers and US and Colombian flags. “The basic idea is for Colombia to be a country you can trust, trust at home and abroad.’’

Despite the improvements, Colombia’s murder rates are still much higher than in the United States.

Last year Colombia logged 15,251 homicides, almost half the number in 2002, but more than six times higher than the US rate.

Human rights groups continue to complain that Uribe is too dismissive of alleged abuses. Human Rights Watch said Colombia has the highest murder rate of trade unionists in the world, and the group also complained about the killings of civilians allegedly by the armed forces.

Outside the auditorium, two dozen protesters held signs such as “No more lies,’’ and “No more death squads.’’

“He has militarized the country,’’ said Estela Pérez, holding a sign outside the school. “We don’t want him to be reelected.’’

Inside the auditorium, immigrants said they visit home regularly and feel safe enough to travel by land, something that was unthinkable a decade ago when kidnappings were widespread.

“He’s the best president Colombia has ever had,’’ said a beaming Gloria Castrillón, 54 and the mother of a Boston police officer who is originally from Antioquia Province, the home of most Colombian immigrants in Boston.

“He’s restored democracy,’’ said Alvaro Ramirez, a 52-year-old cook. “He’s given us our country back.’’

One man in the auditorium criticized the army. The crowd shouted him down, but Uribe let him finish.

Still, Uribe defended the army. He said Colombia had a choice: Be protected by the army and the police, or be at the mercy of leftist guerrillas and right-wing paramilitaries.

As Uribe left, a man shouted, “God bless you!’’