VZCZCXYZ0014
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #8200/01 3252119
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 212119Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0233

UNCLAS BOGOTA 008200 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ETRD ECON CO
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR THE VISIT OF SENATE MAJORITY 
LEADER HARRY REID AND DELEGATION NOVEMBER 28 
 
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Summary 
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1.(SBU) Your delegation will visit Colombia far safer, 
economically stronger, better governed and more democratic 
than it has been in decades. Many Colombians will not only 
say that the Colombia of today is better than any other time 
in their lives, but also in the lifetime of their parents. 
During your visit, you will have the opportunity to see how 
broadly the improvements extend. Murder rates have declined 
40 percent since 2002. Murders of union members has dropped 
even faster; falling 70 percent during the same period. 
Kidnapping rates, a scourge of even the middle class, have 
plummeted 76 percent. The Government maintains a presence in 
all municipalities for the first time in memory. Increased 
security has led to an economic boom, registering 7.5% growth 
for the first semester of 2007 after reaching 6.8% in 2006. 
The economic expansion has reduced poverty by 20 percent 
since 2002. The regional elections on October 28, went 
smoothly with limited violence or fraud. Increased security 
permitted more competitive elections with an 11% increase in 
the number of candidates. More than 40,000 combatants, mostly 
paramilitaries, have laid down their arms. Despite all that, 
Colombians recognize that much remains to do. The Uribe 
Administration has focused aggressively on reducing human 
rights violations by beefing up the judiciary, speeding up 
the judicial process and protecting at risk union members, 
journalists and human rights workers. The delay in U.S. 
congressional approval of the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion 
Act (CTPA) has raised concern about the commitment of the USG 
to Colombia. Studies estimate that the CTPA will create 
hundreds of thousands of jobs in Colombia; jobs that will 
employ the ex-coca growers and poorly-educated population of 
young men that demobilize from illegal armed groups.  End 
Summary. 
 
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Positive Economic Outlook 
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2.(U) Significant gains in security have helped boost the 
Colombian economy. GDP growth in 2006 hit 6.8 percent, while 
2007 first semester growth reached 7.5 percent. Both exports 
and imports grew more than 20 percent in 2006.  The U.S. 
remains Colombia's largest trade partner (approximately 40 
percent of exports and 26 percent of imports). Colombian 
exports to the U.S. have grown USD 1 billion per year since 
the Andean Trade Preferences Act's (ATPA) renewal and 
expansion in late 2002, while U.S. exports to Colombia 
increased approximately USD 2 billion. The largest U.S. 
investors - Drummond (coal), ChevronTexaco and ExxonMobil - 
plan considerable expansion due to the improved investment 
climate and security situation. Investors from around the 
world continue investing or consider investing in Colombia in 
large part because of the possibility of unfettered access to 
the U.S. market provided under the free trade agreement. In 
2006, Foreign Direct Investment increased to USD 8.9 billion, 
quadruple the FDI in 2002. 
 
3.(SBU) The CTPA remains the Colombian government's highest 
economic priority. The Colombian Congress ratified the CTPA 
in June by a substantial margin, and Colombia's 
Constitutional Court continues to review the Agreement. The 
U.S. Congress has extended trade preferences for Colombian 
exporters under the ATPA through February 2008. The Uribe 
Administration has redoubled efforts to win U.S. 
Congressional support for CTPA approval. Visits in 2007 by 
high-level USG officials, including President Bush, Defense 
Secretary Gates, Commerce Secretary Gutierrez, U.S. Trade 
 
SIPDIS 
Representative Schwab, Deputy Secretary of State Negroponte, 
and Overseas Private Investment Cooperation CEO Mosbacher, 
have reassured them of the Administration's commitment, but 
the Colombian government remains cognizant of the daunting 
political challenges ahead. 
 
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Democratic Security 
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4.(U) The establishment of greater Colombian government 
territorial control and the paramilitary demobilization have 
allowed civil society and political parties to operate more 
openly than ever before. In May 2006, the leftist Polo 
Democratico candidate for president received over 2.5 million 
votes, the highest level ever for a leftist candidate. 
Colombia's October 28 local elections occurred without 
significant violence or problems, according to the OAS, 
Embassy observers, and local press, although violence claimed 
the lives of more than 30 candidates during the campaign 
period. The Colombian government deployed 167,000 police and 
military to voting sites, and electoral officials appeared 
well organized. The Colombian government and local officials 
 
quickly deployed security and investigative officials to the 
few areas where allegations of fraud ) or localized violence 
) occurred. The elections centered on local issues and 
alliances, and results did not represent a referendum on 
President Uribe or other national politicians ) though the 
Uribe coalition fared well. Samuel Moreno of the Polo 
Democratico Party won the key Bogota mayoral race. Observers 
told us candidates and parties associated with the 
para-political scandal fared poorly overall ) though a few 
questionable candidates did win. 
 
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Labor 
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5.(U) Labor violence and impunity remain major concerns in 
Colombia.  In June 2006, the Colombian government, trade 
confederations and business representatives signed a 
Tripartite Accord at the International Labor Organization 
(ILO) in Geneva, removing Colombia from discussion in the 
ILO's Committee for the Application of Standards for the 
first time in 21 years.  A resident ILO representative 
arrived in Colombia in January 2007 to implement the 
agreement committing the government to financing the ILO 
Special Technical Cooperation program and allocating USD 1.5 
million annually to the Fiscalia to prosecute cases of 
violence against trade unionists.  The Colombian government 
has assigned nearly 100 prosecutors and investigators to this 
task.  Labor leaders and the UNHCHR's local representative 
praise the initiative. 
 
6.(U) Although trade unionists continue to fall victim to 
violence for both political reasons and common crime, the 
Colombian government is determined to protect labor leaders. 
In 2006, the Colombian government's Protection Program 
assisted over 1,500 trade unionists and 10,000 human rights 
activists, journalists, politicians, witnesses and other 
individuals under threat. The Colombian government expects to 
spend some USD 34 million on protection in 2007. You will 
meet Attorney General Mario Iguaran who has reaffirmed to us 
that his office remains committed to prosecuting cases of 
violence against labor. Under his leadership, the Attorney 
General's office has focused resources for the human rights 
office's 13 prosecutor sub-unit concentrating on prosecuting 
187 priority labor violence cases. Since 2001, the Colombian 
government has won convictions in 56 cases of violence 
against union members, resulting in sentences against 118 
suspects. 
 
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U.S. Assistance 
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7.(SBU) In January, the Colombian government presented a Plan 
Colombia "consolidation strategy" pledging a Colombian 
investment of USD 78 billion between 2007 and 2013.  The 
proposal contains a heightened emphasis on social 
development, assigning new resources to consolidate 
governance, human rights, displaced people, and 
Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities.  It also aims to 
reintegrate 42,000 demobilized ex-combatants and deserters 
and to promote Colombia's competitiveness and licit exports. 
The Colombian government seeks funding from the United States 
and European countries, but also brings substantial resources 
of its own to the table.  USG security assistance combats 
drug trafficking and terrorism and includes training, 
material aid, and technical assistance to security forces and 
other institutions.  It also provides support for Colombian 
government aviation, essential for all programs)civilian or 
military*outside Colombia's major cities. 
 
8.(U) Under Plan Colombia, the USG provided more than USD 600 
million in economic and social assistance over the past seven 
years.  In FY2007, the USAID Mission in Colombia funds USD 
139 million of programs in four key strategic sectors: 
alternative development and economic policy reform; justice 
reform, human rights and strengthening governance; 
demobilization and reintegration of illegal armed groups; 
assistance to internally displaced persons (Colombia has 
between 2 and 3 million displaced persons), Afro-Colombians 
and other vulnerable populations.  The USAID Mission has 
coordinated closely with other sections of the Embassy to 
strengthen the integration of security, counter-narcotics and 
economic assistance. 
 
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Drug Eradication and Interdiction 
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9.(SBU) Eradication of coca and poppy crops and interdiction 
of cocaine and heroin reached record levels in 2006, and 
political support for manual and aerial eradication continues 
to grow in Colombia.  President Uribe understands that manual 
 
eradication cannot replace aerial eradication without a sharp 
increase in expenditures, and he seeks a complementary 
approach using both methods.  The National 
Police and military forces seized over 203 metric tons of 
cocaine and coca base in 2006, a near-record quantity, and 
destroyed 200 cocaine laboratories, also a record.  We 
continue to work with the Colombian government to refine our 
eradication strategy and determine how best to transfer key 
tasks from the USG to the Colombian government. 
 
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Military Justice and Improved Human Rights Record 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
10.(SBU) The Uribe Administration continues to make progress 
on human rights cases involving military abuse or 
collaboration with paramilitaries. All members of the 
military and police receive mandatory human rights training. 
Minister of Defense(MOD)Santos has identified military 
justice reform as a top priority; in October, he named the 
first civilian - and the first woman - as director of the 
Military Criminal Justice System. In January 2007, Santos 
relieved Colonel Hernan Mejia Gutierrez, a highly 
decorated colonel, from command of the 13th Mobile Brigade 
due to allegations tying him to former paramilitary leader 
Jorge 40. This marked the first time a MOD had taken such 
action against an active commander for alleged paramilitary 
ties. The UN Human Rights Commission and private human 
rights groups all play active roles here. Progress on certain 
high profile human rights cases against the public security 
forces has gone agonizingly slow and has injured the 
Colombian governments reputation in the international 
community. 
 
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Extradition 
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11.(SBU) President Uribe remains a strong supporter of the 
U.S.-Colombia extradition relationship.  Since taking office, 
he has approved over 565 extraditions to the United States 
including 154 cases so far in 2007, a new record. 
 
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Demobilization and Peace Process 
--------------------------------- 
 
12.(SBU) Over 32,000 former paramilitaries have demobilized 
since 2002, and a further 11,000 have deserted other illegal 
armed groups (about one-half from the Revolutionary Armed 
Forces of Colombia (FARC)).  FARC desertions increased 
significantly in 2007, and this has resulted in the largest 
such reintegration program ever attempted and operates while 
the Colombian government continues to battle the FARC and 
National Liberation Army (ELN). A small percentage of 
renegade former-United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) 
members have joined new criminal groups. Job creation remains 
a priority, but many of the recently demobilized have few 
employable skills and need intense psycho-social and 
vocational training before they can enter the labor force. 
The Colombian government's reintegration program 
significantly increased the number of former combatants now 
employed or in training. The Colombian government has 
identified increased investment in small and medium 
enterprise development as a priority for promoting job 
creation for demobilized ex-combatants. 
 
13.(SBU) The ELN has negotiated with the Colombian government 
for well over a year, so far without success and prospects 
remain doubtful. Although the ELN retains hostages, their 
military capability continues to decline.  The FARC has 
refused to engage in any meaningful peace talks, and recently 
killed eleven state legislators that they had held hostage. 
At the end of August, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez 
visited Colombia to offer his assistance in facilitating 
peace talks between the Colombian government and the FARC and 
ELN. On November 6, Chavez met with FARC Secretariat member 
"Ivan Marquez" in Caracas. 
 
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U.S. Hostages 
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14.(SBU) The three U.S. contractors captured by the FARC in 
February 2003 are the longest held U.S. hostages in the 
world. Their safe release remains our top priority.  The 
Colombians provide full assistance, and President Uribe has 
assured us that the U.S. hostages any humanitarian exchange 
will include the U.S. hostages. 
Brownfield