title: Colombian leader says received assurances of support from Republican U.S. lawmakers
text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Friday that Republican members of the U.S. Congress had indicated their continuing support for Colombia’s effort to achieve peace with leftist rebels and recover from years of civil war. His comments, at the State Department, came a day after President Barack Obama said he planned to ask Congress for more than $450 million in aid to help Colombia implement a peace accord to end Latin America’s longest war. Asked whether Republicans had backed the administration plan, Santos told reporters at the State Department he “did not hear one single voice” doubting the success of the current U.S. aid effort, Plan Colombia, and he had received “expressions of continuing support.” He said he did not receive any formal commitments but hoped Congress would support the new proposal. 