VZCZCXYZ0025
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #4008/01 3101806
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 051806Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5398
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 8471
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1268
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ NOV LIMA 6707
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 2597
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 7403

UNCLAS BOGOTA 004008 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL ECON PGOV EAID CO
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S BARRANQUILLA VISIT FOCUSES ON 
POSITIVE RELATIONS WITH ATLANTIC COAST 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY.  During an October 30 visit to Barranquilla, 
Ambassador Brownfield discussed a range of themes -- 
including U.S.-Colombia relations, U.S. elections, the global 
financial crisis, corporate social responsibility, and sports 
diplomacy -- with a wide array of interlocutors.  The 
Ambassador met with a group of University students, the 
Governor of Atlantico, and the Mayor of Barranquilla.  He 
also visited a USAID-supported fruit-packing facility and 
addressed invited guests at the tenth anniversary celebration 
of the Barranquilla branch of the Colombian-American Chamber 
of Commerce.  END SUMMARY. 
 
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ASK ABOUT FTA AND FARC 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) During a half-hour address to about 150 students at 
the Universidad del Norte, the Ambassador spoke about the 
U.S. electoral college system and the increasing diversity 
and importance of the Hispanic vote in the U.S.  He noted 
that U.S.-Colombian cooperation is rooted in each country's 
interest in fighting violence, drug-trafficking, and 
terrorism, and in promoting greater trade and investment. 
For this reason, regardless of the outcome of the election, 
strong cooperation and friendly relations will continue. 
Students raised concerns about the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade 
Agreement, the impact of the financial crisis, and the future 
of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). 
 
AMBASSADOR STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH EDUCATION 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶3. (SBU) Over lunch with Atlantico Governor Eduardo Verano 
and 20 of his advisors and private sector supporters, the 
Governor outlined why the Department of Atlantico is an 
attractive destination for foreign investment, particularly 
in the tourism and agroindustrial sectors.  The Governor also 
noted the priority he attached to sports, in particular to 
renovating and expanding Tomas Arrieta baseball stadium. 
Finally, the Governor noted Atlantico's progress on 
education, including more exchanges, so called "intelligent 
classrooms" and a greater number of bilingual education 
programs.  The Ambassador applauded Atlantico's efforts and 
pointed out the potential for cooperation with several 
U.S.-based Foundations, such as the "One Laptop per Child" 
Program.  The Ambassador also noted opportunities for 
collaboration on English language education with the BNC, 
Fulbright Program, former Peace Corps volunteers in Colombia, 
and perhaps American teachers during their summer breaks.  He 
stressed the importance of raising the profile of 
English-language education through advertising campaigns with 
famous English-speaking Barranquilleros, such as baseball 
player Edgar Renteria or entertainer Shakira. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Barranquilla Mayor Alejandro Char, whom recent polls 
showed to be the most popular mayor in Colombia, told the 
Ambassador that Barranquilla has the lowest or perhaps second 
lowest homicide rate in the country at 18 per 100,000 
inhabitants.  Char also emphasized how he had cleaned up 
corruption in the city by choosing most members of his 
cabinet from the private sector.  While Mayor Char said 
Barranquilla had not felt effects of the financial crisis, he 
nonetheless stressed the need for greater investment in the 
city.  Char outlined several public works projects currently 
in process, including a highway, which will ring the city, 
drainage which will bring sewer water to a treatment 
facility, instead of allowing it to enter the Magdalena 
River, and the construction of a convention center as part of 
a plan to revitalize the city center.  The Ambassador 
applauded the Mayor's plans and reiterated his desire for a 
Colombian baseball league on the North Coast with strong 
links to Major League Baseball.  He also noted the importance 
of involving the private sector in large social-oriented 
goals, such as expanded English-language education. 
 
PASSION FRUIT: A PROFITABLE ALTERNATIVE 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) The Ambassador visited the Atlantic Bottling Company, 
Compania Envasadora del Atlantico (CEA), a fruit-packing 
facility, which started out 20 years ago exporting three 
containers annually and now exports 1,300 containers of 
packaged fruit and fruit products, more than one-third of 
which go to the U.S.  Over 2,000 Colombian families sell 
their fruit to CEA.  The Ambassador spoke with several 
farmers, who, with technical assistance from USAID, now grow 
 
passion fruit as an alternative to coca or poppy.  The 
farmers explained that passion fruit is also more profitable 
and stable than coffee or cacao.  The Ambassador pointed out 
the power that these farmers' examples can have on others to 
do the same. 
 
AMCHAM BARRANQUILLA CELEBRATES TEN YEARS 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Ambassador Brownfield gave the keynote address at the 
Tenth Anniversary Celebration of the Barranquilla branch of 
the Colombian-American Chamber of Commerce.  Of the five 
Colombian branches of the Amcham, Barranquilla is the newest 
and has grown the fastest, expanding from eight original 
members to 130 today.  Amcham Barranquilla used the event to 
launch its corporate social responsibility program entitled 
"Bilingual Export Platform of Barranquilla, Atlantico," which 
will focus on giving scholarships and educational materials 
to help students learn English.  The Ambassador acknowledged 
the tremendous work of Amcham Barranquilla and noted how the 
new program was a win-win for the private sector, which would 
benefit from more English-speaking employees, increasing its 
competitiveness, and for the educational institutions, which 
receive greater resources for teaching their students English. 
 
POSITIVE PRESS COVERAGE 
----------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) The Ambassador's visit received extensive local print 
and broadcast coverage, which served to emphasize USG 
soft-side support to the Atlantico Region.  PAS organized an 
exclusive interview with Barranquilla's leading daily, El 
Heraldo (Liberal Party-oriented editorial line; readership: 
357,900) which ran a positive story focusing on U.S. 
elections.  Diario La Libertad (readership: 105,000) ran a 
story about the visit to CEA and highlighted USAID's work 
with MIDAS.  RCN Radio (listeners: 607,300) featured the 
Ambassador's remarks at the Universidad del Norte and his 
visit to CEA. 
BROWNFIELD