Colombian voters brave violence to elect Congress

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BOGOTA, Colombia (Reuters) - Colombians went to the polls on Sunday, despite fear of rebel violence, to elect a new Congress that will determine the government's success in implementing a U.S. free trade deal and other reforms.

President Alvaro Uribe, popular for reducing crime as part of his crackdown on drug-running leftist guerrillas, is expected to win re-election in May and carry on his tough, Washington-backed, military and pro-market economic policies.

He urged his countrymen to vote despite a slew of recent rebel attacks aimed at scaring people away from the polls, which closed at 4 p.m. (2100 GMT). Results were expected late Sunday night.

Juan Carlos Echeverry, head of the economics department at Bogota's University of the Andes, said Uribe was set to win a working majority in the Senate while lower house results are more uncertain. Uribe has strong support in both chambers but has struggled to form reliable majorities.

Reuters