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UNCLAS BOGOTA 001891 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OVIP PGOV EAID PHUM SNAR ECON PREL CO
SUBJECT: CONGRESSMAN GREGORY MEEKS VISIT TO CARTAGENA AND TUMACO 
HIGHLIGHTS AFRO-COLOMBIAN SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT ISSUES 
MAY 28-31, 2009 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU)  Congressman Gregory Meeks visited Cartagena and Tumaco 
from May 28-31.  In Cartagena, his attendance at the Afro-Colombian 
Commission's presentation of recommendations to Colombian Vice 
President Santos sent a strong signal of U.S. support for the 
legitimate aspirations of Afro-Colombians.  In addition to attending 
the meeting, Congressman Meeks met with the mayor and traveled to 
the Islas del Rosario (a small island chain off of Cartagena's 
Caribbean coast) to visit a USAID socio-economic program targeting 
Afro-Colombians.  The Tumaco portion of Mr. Meeks's visit focused on 
the complicated relationship between security and economic growth. 
Tumaco, the second largest city in the department of Nario on the 
southwest Pacific Coast, is currently the most violent municipality 
in the country, with more than five murders occurring each day 
within the city.  It is a priority region for the Embassy's Colombia 
Strategic Development Initiative (CSDI).  End Summary. 
 
 
 
AFRO-COLOMBIAN COMMISSION PRESENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶2. (U)  For the past year and a half, the Commission has met with 
over 4,000 representatives from Afro-Colombian communities 
throughout the country.  The Commission presented its findings to 
Vice President Francisco Santos at a ceremony at the historic Palace 
of the Inquisition on May 29.  During the event Cartagena Mayor 
Judith Pinedo, Minister of the Interior Fabio Valencia Cossio, 
Colombian congresswoman Maria Isabel Urrutia, and Minister of 
Culture Paula Moreno also spoke.  The speakers all pointed to the 
problem of structural discrimination against Afro-Colombians within 
politics and society.  They also recognized the positive steps taken 
toward inclusivity, pointing to Law 70, but stressed the need for 
increased representation of Afros in political parties and the armed 
forces.  Minister Valencia praised the naming of Ms. Moreno to the 
cabinet, and the professional success of Police General Luis Alberto 
Moore, both Afro-Colombians, as more than just symbolic tokens of 
diversity. 
 
¶3. (U)  Of the proposed recommendations, Vice President Santos 
highlighted the importance of creating incentives for greater 
Afro-Colombian political participation and to raise the numbers of 
Afro-Colombians in institutions of higher education.  He underlined 
his commitment to further inclusiveness within Colombian society and 
his intent to enforce laws already in place to encourage diversity. 
Specifically, he wants to make Afro-Colombian history a mandatory 
subject in Colombian schools. 
 
¶4. (SBU)  Also present were several members of the Afro-Colombian 
congressional bancada, or caucus.  Five of the eight members are 
currently under criminal investigation, some for ties to human 
rights violators, others for simple corruption. 
 
¶5. (U)  Finally, the Commission committed to presenting a law 
designed to increase inclusion of Afro-Colombian, Palenquero, and 
Raizal communities to congress on July 20th. 
 
¶6. (U)  The Commission's principal findings vis-`-vis the causes of 
Afro-Colombian disadvantages were: 
 
-- Low participation and representation in political and 
institutional decision-making processes. 
 
-- Restricted access to quality basic and higher education, which 
limits quality employment opportunities and perpetuates poverty. 
 
-- Unequal access to the labor market; employment focused on 
low-wage, low-specialization jobs. 
 
-- Racism and racial discrimination. 
 
-- Unequal access to social and economic development opportunities. 
 
-- Low self-recognition and recognition of the value of ethnic and 
cultural diversity. 
 
-- Low availability of information for the Afro-Colombian 
population, hindering development of adequate public policies 
adjusted to ethnic and territorial differences. 
 
¶7. (U)  The Commission's principal recommendations were: 
 
 
-- Increase political representation by providing stimuli to 
political parties which favor the election of Afro-Colombian 
candidates. 
 
-- Increase access and create incentives for public and private 
institutions. Focus on inter-cultural education.  Develop quota 
system for scholarships for higher education. Strengthen schools in 
Afro-Colombian municipalities. Create a national award for inclusion 
of ethnic diversity. 
 
-- Seek participation of Afro-Colombians in labor market that, at 
least, matches the percentage of Afro-Colombians in the country. 
Incorporate minority-owned businesses in government procurement 
systems. 
 
-- Support legislative projects to penalize racism. 
 
-- Foster entrepreneurship amongst Afro-Colombian population. Create 
tax incentives for private-sector companies who develop diversity 
policies.  Create social responsibility certification for companies 
that develop diversity policies.  Include Afro-Colombians in 
companies that have agreements to conduct business in Afro-Colombian 
territories. 
 
-- Special mention of inclusion of Afro-Colombians to the Armed 
Forces. 
 
-- Develop ethnic diversity promotion campaign.  Re-write 
Afro-Colombian history.  Create centers that promote Afro-Colombian 
cultural memory. 
 
-- Differentiated approach in governmental information system. 
Government information systems should be more inclusive of ethnic 
groups. 
 
U.S. ASSISTANCE TO LAS ISLAS DEL ROSARIO 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU)  While in Cartagena, Congressman Meeks, accompanied by the 
Deputy Chief of Mission and USAID Mission Director, visited Isla 
Grande, one of the islands that make up the Islas del Rosario, where 
USAID, through the Pan American Development Foundation, recently 
concluded a USD 240,000 activity.  The activity provided support for 
internally displaced and other vulnerable populations through income 
generation, institutional strengthening, health, education, and 
environmental initiatives in the Islas del Rosario and other 
municipalities in Bolivar and Sucre.  During his visit, Congressman 
Meeks spoke to several dozen of the 700 inhabitants who make up the 
local community council and who have benefitted from the 
strengthening of their small businesses, including local craft 
production and an eco-guide organization.  Several small eco-hotels 
have been developed and the installation of dry toilets and solar 
panels has improved living conditions.  The community is grateful 
for the assistance they have received and they expressed their 
commitment to environmentally sustainable practices as they move 
ahead. 
 
U.S. ASSISTANCE TO TUMACO, NARIQO 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (U)  On May 30 Congressman Meeks, accompanied by DCM and 
Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) Deputy Director, travelled to 
Tumaco, a predominantly Afro-Colombian municipality in Nario, to 
observe the security, economic, and development challenges facing 
this area.  The problems in Tumaco are similar to other rural 
Colombia areas.  Tumaco's residents suffer from economic 
dislocations caused by coca cultivation, transport, and trade.  For 
example, this port city is not able to take advantage of its Pacific 
location and capitalize on its seafood market potential.  In 
addition to these daily occurrences, in February 2008 the city 
flooded, affecting over 30,000 people and an estimated 20,000 
hectares of productive agriculture, much of it African palm.  The 
USG provided over USD 300,000 in flood assistance to the affected 
communities.  However, the flood still bears economic effects 
today. 
 
¶10. (SBU)  Tumaco shares a lengthy, lawless, and porous border with 
Ecuador.  Police and security forces scarcely penetrate outside of 
the urban core of the municipality due to limited resources.  As a 
result, over 15,000 hectares of coca are grown in Tumaco annually, 
and this illegal activity is closely intertwined with the 
exploitation of Afro-Colombian inhabitants.  The Embassy continues 
to work on improving the security situation, decreasing illicit crop 
cultivation, and implementing alternative development programs.  We 
 
 
understand that this situation will only improve if we take a 
holistic approach and attack the problem from all angles. 
 
¶11. (SBU)  Congressman Meeks was also briefed on the Colombian 
military's operations in the region.  He learned that drug labs are 
commonly built around the border, and that most of the arms and 
chemicals used in processing drugs are illegally transported from 
Ecuador.  He then helicoptered from Tumaco to Llorente, a small town 
to the southeast, to see the affects of a limited police presence 
and drug producing economy.  He met with the Commander of the 
Llorente police station, who explained that since the station was 
built five years ago, it has regularly received threats and been 
attacked. The Commander then explained drug production in the town. 
A year ago, a truck carrying chemicals used to produce cocaine was 
confiscated, but still sits in front of the police station.  The 
police are not allowed to move the truck until the case has gone to 
trial, which can take an unspecified amount of time.  However, due 
to several attempts to steal the truck, the police have had to 
expend resources and guard the truck 24 hours per day.  The locals' 
perception of this police presence is mixed - some people are happy 
that the GOC is attempting to bring stability, but those involved in 
illicit activities are obviously not. 
 
¶12. (SBU)  The NAS officers explained to the CODEL that they are 
comprehensively strengthening the ability of Colombian police forces 
to assert security in Tumaco and drive out illicit actors: 
 
-- NAS supports training for police officers, improving police 
stations, and providing basic equipment to improve their ability to 
enforce the law. 
 
-- The Embassy continues to support a comprehensive aerial 
eradication program that seeks to eliminate the financial viability 
of growing illegal crops, therefore reducing incentives for illegal 
actors to remain in Tumaco.  The Embassy also supports GOC efforts 
to manually eradicate illegal crops. 
 
-- Through the Pacific Coast Initiative, the USG will spend USD 10 
million on the Pacific Coast to enhance the ability of the GOC to 
capture illegal traffickers and crack down on violent actors who use 
the seas to transit drugs up and down the coast. 
 
¶13. (SBU)  The Embassy seeks to improve the chances for the 
community to enter a licit economy that provides far wider 
opportunities for themselves, their children, and their 
grandchildren through the development angle to complement the 
security angle.  Congressman Meeks visited several USAID supported 
programs, including a traveling family health clinic called 
Profamilia.  Since 2000, USAID's funds have been used to expand 
Profamilia's work into some of Colombia's most remote and 
conflict-riddled regions.  USAID's current program with Profamilia 
is valued at USD 9.8 million and is active in 169 Colombian 
municipalities.  The clinic provides information on STDs and 
contraceptives to young people, and basic health care provisions to 
mothers and children.  Congressman Meeks also met with two women's 
shellfish harvesting associations supported by USAID ADAM and MIDAS 
Alternative Development programs to gain their perspective on 
economic opportunities in the area.  Several hundred families belong 
to the two associations.  USAID assistance aims to strengthen the 
organizations and improve access to markets, helping harvesters 
better position themselves and receive better pricing for their 
product.  Their concerns echoed the concerns of Afro-Colombians in 
other meetings this trip:  unemployment, poor living conditions, and 
insecurity. 
 
FUTURE PROMISE 
-------------- 
 
¶14. (SBU)  CSDI coordination in Tumaco has begun, and programming 
strategies are being drafted.  However, Congressman Meeks was able 
to see the violent reality of Tumaco and the hopeful contours of a 
policy which should pay dramatic dividends as implementation begins. 
 Congressman Meeks' trip highlighted the fact that the challenges 
facing both the Afro-Colombian communities, poor communities such as 
Tumaco, and Colombia itself, are best addressed by a comprehensive 
security plus development approach that provides people both the 
security tools to make their own decisions without coercion, as well 
as the tools to turn these choices into reality through economic 
development. 
BROWNFIELD