VZCZCXYZ0016
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #1596/01 1402017
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 202017Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8786
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 8908
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 2260
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAY LIMA 7573
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 8275
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL 4904
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 3665

UNCLAS BOGOTA 001596 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON ENRG EPET PGOV CO SCUL SNAR PHUM PTER
PREF 
SUBJECT: DCM HIGHLIGHTS U.S. ASSISTANCE TO VULNERABLE POPULATIONS ON 
PACIFIC COAST 
 
1.(U) SUMMARY:  During a May 7-8 trip to Cali and Buenaventura, the 
Deputy Chief of Mission met with business community members, local 
officials and Naval and Coast Guard senior leadership.  Other events 
focused on issues for Afro-Colombian and internally displaced 
persons (IDPs) communities.  The DCM spoke to Afro-Colombian student 
leaders at the University Santiago de Cali, the National Network of 
Afro-Colombian Women, and visited USAID-funded micro-credit and IDP 
counseling programs.  The visit highlighted U.S. assistance to 
improve the quality of life for vulnerable groups, security issues 
and state of the economy.  END SUMMARY. 
 
UNIVERSITY VISIT HIGHLIGHTS AFRO-COLOMBIAN LEADERSHIP 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶2. (U) The DCM, accompanied by ECONOFF, visited the Universidad 
Santiago de Cali on May 7th.  Chairman of the University Board 
Jefferson Ocoro and Ebano magazine editor Essaud Urrutia made 
introductory remarks, followed by the DCM's remarks.  About eighty 
students who made up the Afro-Colombian leadership group were 
present. 
 
¶3. (U) Ocoro and Urrutia highlighted the importance of academic and 
trade ties to the U.S. and Colombia's positive steps toward 
inclusivity.  The DCM offered remarks on what motivated him to join 
the Foreign Service, and discussed scholarships, such as the Martin 
Luther King scholarship and other academic programs in the U.S.  The 
students then engaged the DCM in a question/answer session on U.S. 
foreign policy and U.S. support for Afro-Colombians and other 
vulnerable groups. 
 
NATIONAL NETWORK OF AFRO-COLOMBIAN WOMEN DISCUSS FUTURE ASSISTANCE 
---------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) The DCM met with the five members of the National Network 
of Afro-Colombian Women, including President Aura Dalia Caicedo 
Valencia.  A great percentage of IDPs are Afro-Colombian women, and 
many children are also included in that category as victims of armed 
conflict.  Projects they are working on within the Afro community 
include:  setting up a political action group, encouraging more 
Afro-Colombian women political candidates, improving living 
conditions of Afro-Colombians, and fighting discrimination.  They 
also noted the upcoming launch of a leadership training program for 
Afro-Colombian women that they hope to expand throughout the 
country.  The DCM responded that an integral policy towards 
Afro-Colombians that encompasses health, security, and economic 
possibilities is needed to respond to these issues, but that 
achieving concrete and significant progress will be a long process. 
He also noted the growing dissatisfaction of many Afro-Colombian 
constituencies and their elected leaders, in large part due to 
scandals and corruption. 
 
¶5. (SBU) EconOff asked about that status of a housing project going 
forward in Buenaventura that aims to relocate Afro-Colombians whose 
homes are threatened by flooding.  The women stated that the 
community does not wish to relocate as the move does not benefit 
them in any way, and moves them farther away from the sea, where 
most of them earn their living.  They also asked that the Embassy 
follow up on the results of U.S. assistance in general because there 
are projects where assistance doesn't reach its intended recipients. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MAYOR POINTS TO YOUTH DELINQUENCY, GUN CONTROL, AND ARMED CRIMINAL 
GROUPS AS TOP PROBLEMS 
------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Cali Mayor Jorge Ospina, along with Johania Marulanda, 
Director of Planning and Efrain Sierra, Undersecretary of Security 
explained to the DCM the challenges facing their city.  The Mayor's 
city pride campaign and transportation and educational programs have 
improved the city's image, he said.  Cali's unemployment rate is 
stable but some industries have been affected by the global economic 
crisis.  However, Ospina is worried about the rate of violence, 
which is higher than other Colombian cities at 417 murders this 
year.  Ospina pointed to three major factors affecting crime in 
Cali:  juvenile delinquency, trafficked arms, and the reinsertion of 
armed former paramilitary and guerilla elements into society. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Juvenile delinquency is growing according to the Mayor. 
Children start out with small crimes and move to more serious crimes 
 
as they get older, and is also a problem amongst Cali's IDPs. 
Second, Ospina said imported firearms are used in 85% of murders in 
Cali, which leads him to believe it is a transnational problem.  The 
third problem is hired killers associated with "oficinas de cobro", 
or criminal debt collectors, which have not yet risen to the level 
of a mafia in Cali but are a growing problem.  Crime problems are 
complex and there is a lack of resources to combat them, Ospina 
said.  Security official Sierra believes the Embassy could help Cali 
in the area of combating youth delinquency, specifically by 
assisting in a review of the judicial system and how it treats youth 
crimes.  The national system of registry of arms is also not 
functioning as it should. The DCM commented that the Embassy has 
several experts that can assist on these issues. 
 
¶8. (SBU) The DCM asked Ospina about his office's assistance for IDPs 
in Cali.  The Mayor stated that there are 40,000 IDPs in Cali from 
the Pacific Coast and that Cali is having trouble absorbing them 
all.  The DCM inquired about two displaced groups in Cali from the 
Brisas de Navarro and Brisas de Cordoba neighborhoods.  Ospina 
responded that there is housing and social assistance available to 
those IDPs who register, but 80% of those people did not alert the 
proper office for assistance when they were displaced.  The 
registration process is very long, involving a certification and 
verification process by Accion Social, which the mayor's office has 
no control over.  Some IDPs have invaded residential areas and 
refuse to leave, so they plan another displacement next week.  The 
Mayor stated he has a no-tolerance policy for illegal land seizures. 
 He mentioned that some 3,000 homes are under construction for IDPs 
in Cali and that churches run short-term housing programs for the 
interim. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Ospina requested the removal of soccer team America de 
Cali, a strategic symbol of the city, from the Specially Designated 
Nationals and Blocked Persons list.  Ospina claimed some of the 
team's former investors were not involved in narco-trafficking and 
would like to invest again in the team.  The DCM responded that 
Embassy awaits the new list of investors so it can confirm the 
origins of the team's new resources. 
 
JOHNSON & JOHNSON SALES REMAIN STABLE 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶10. (U) The DCM met with Johnson & Johnson Sales and Marketing 
president Rosana Padilla and was given a tour of the plant by 
Director of Operations Julian Irurita.  Johnson & Johnson sales this 
year have remained steady.  While large chains like Exito had a bad 
trimester, Johnson & Johnson has seen an increase in sales to "mom 
and pop" stores.  Padilla expressed some concern over the security 
situation in Cali and decreasing U.S. assistance, pointing to the 
exodus of Cali businesses to Bogota during the years when the FARC 
were more active. 
 
¶11. (U) Padilla noted Johnson & Johnson partners with NGOs on HIV 
and nutrition programs.  She expressed interest in the DCM's 
suggestion to work with American contacts in Cali to further develop 
charitable programs. 
 
 
FINANCE MINISTER ZULUAGA CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶12. (U) At a panel discussion organized by the Cali Branch of the 
Colombian-American Chamber of Commerce, Finance Minister Oscar Ivan 
Zuluaga, National Planning Director Esteban Piedrahita, Sugar 
Producers Association President Luis Fernando Londoo and Colombina 
President Cesar Caicedo were guardedly optimistic about Colombia's 
macroeconomic outlook in the face of the global downturn.  Zuluaga 
noted a recent IMF report that estimated Colombia's GDP growth would 
be zero in 2009 and 1.6 percent in 2010.  The report said Colombia's 
structural reforms and sound macro policies put the country in a 
better position than most to pursue countercyclical fiscal policies 
in addition to interest rate cuts. 
¶13. (U) Zuluaga added that national debt remained at very manageable 
levels and reserves had increased from January to April.  Zuluaga's 
response to Londoo's question of why Colombia had not cut interest 
rates more quickly to address unemployment, which reached 12 percent 
in March, was that rates probably would come down more.  From 2006 
through mid-2008, there was a very real danger of inflation, but 
Colombia could take advantage of the current crisis to further 
dampen inflation expectations and achieve inflation rates of less 
than four percent in the coming years.  The panelists generally 
agreed that Colombia would meet its 2009 inflation target of 4.5 to 
5.5 percent.  Caicedo noted the importance of Colombia's 
 
investment-promotion policies, such as free trade zones, 
particularly in a time of economic downturn when businesses are 
being more cautious with investment decisions. 
 
PORT COCAINE SEIZURES ALREADY UP 200% OVER 2008 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶13. (SBU) The DCM toured Buenaventura Port with Port Commander LTC 
Giovanni Zamudio, who demonstrated the methods anti-narcotics police 
use to detect drugs during cargo, container, and sugar and coffee 
inspections.  The DCM also visited the National Coffee Federation's 
export quality control facility.  Buenaventura Port is one of the 
six major Colombian ports that are signatories to the 
Embassy-supported Port Security Program.  There are approximately 
100 anti-narcotics police stationed at the Port of Buenaventura. 
Sixty percent of Colombia's exports pass through Buenaventura, 
making it a target for drug smuggling operations.  In 2008, the 
Buenaventura Port antinarcotics police seized over 2,000 kilos of 
cocaine out of a total of 30,000 kilos of cocaine seized at all of 
Colombia's ports.  This year to date, the unit has already seized 
approximately 6,000 kilos of cocaine. 
 
¶14. (U) The DCM also toured Colombian Coast Guard facilities, led by 
Navy Captain Carlos German Rodriguez.  Buenaventura is the 
headquarters for the Pacific Coast Command which includes two other 
stations located in Bahia Solano and Tumaco.  In 2009, NAS began 
providing training, tactical advice, and operational support to the 
Colombian Coast Guard.  As of January 1, 2009, the Pacific Coast 
Guard Command has been responsible for the seizure of 20,597 kilos 
of cocaine and 7,174 kilos of marijuana.  Captain Rodriguez 
commented that drug smugglers are constantly improving their 
capabilities.  Semi-submersible craft are now capable of making the 
journey from Buenaventura to Mexico in seven days, half the time as 
before. 
 
 
MICRO CREDIT PARTICIPANTS DEEM PROGRAM SUCCESSFUL 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶15. (U) Mujeres Ahorradoras was begun in 2007 as micro-credit 
project with technical cooperation from the Ministry of Agriculture 
and Rural Development and the Inter-American Institute of 
Cooperation for Agriculture.  USG provides approximately $383,000 in 
technical support for 800 women's families in Buenaventura.  The 
eight participants present believed the program had dramatically 
improved their lives, allowing them to use micro-credit to save 
money to reinvest in their small businesses, ranging from cleaning 
to food products.  They have even started their own social project 
to educate their community about birth control, education, and 
savings.  One drawback of the program according to the women is that 
Colombian banks charge high transaction fees which makes saving 
difficult. 
 
VISIT HIGHLIGHTS ASSISTANCE TO IDPS 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶16. (U) The DCM visited Fundacisn Arquitecturando, the local 
operator for a PRM-funded Gender-Based Violence (GBV) program.  This 
program was piloted by CHF International last year and is now being 
integrated into several sites.  The program's objective is to combat 
GBV among internally displaced persons in the cities of 
Buenaventura, Cali, Pasto, and Pereria by providing access to 
counseling and housing assistance. Director Edgar Rodriguez gave a 
presentation detailing Fundacion Arquitecturando's assistance to 
IDPs.  Participants had the opportunity to share their stories. 
Most expressed appreciation for the program.  The number of families 
supported ranges by program, but about 850 families receive support 
through the housing program. 
 
NATIONAL AND REGIONAL PRESS COVERAGE 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶17. (U) Local and national press interviewed the DCM at the 
Universidad Santiago de Cali and the mayor's office.  The DCM 
highlighted these events as good examples of bilateral dialogue and 
USG support for vulnerable groups.  Placements included the 
following pieces:  "Deputy Chief of Mission In Cali Yesterday", El 
Pais (leading Cali daily, weekly readership: 145,000); "Vice 
Ambassador Visits Cali", Caracol Radio (765,100 listeners); "Vice 
Ambassador Brian Nichols Thinks TLC is a Possibility", Caracol 
Radio; "Minister-Counselor Arrives in Cali", Red Sonora (local radio 
station); and "American Chamber of Cali and US Embassy Activities" 
on El Tiempo's internet site (12 million average monthly hits). 
 
 
 
BROWNFIELD