VZCZCXYZ0133
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #3296/01 2891731
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161730Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0413

UNCLAS BOGOTA 003296 
 
CODEL 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OVIP PGOV PREL PHUM ECON CO
SUBJECT: REP. MEEKS RECEIVES RECOGNITION FOR WORK ON AFRO-COLOMBIAN 
ISSUES 
 
REF: 09 BOGOTA 3143 
 
SUMMARY 
 
------- 
 
¶1. (U) Representative Gregory Meeks visited Cali October 11-12 to 
receive an award from the University Santiago of Cali (USC) for his 
work promoting the rights of the Afro-Colombian community.  He also 
met with: Afro-Colombian Fulbright students; the Board of Directors 
of USC; members of the Afro-Colombian Caucus; leaders of 
Afro-Colombian organizations and the business community; and the 
Mayor of Cali and Governor of Valle del Cauca.  While many of the 
Afro-Colombian leaders complained of continuing problems in their 
communities, the Mayor and Governor disputed the need for 
affirmative action policies.  Charge d'Affaires (CDA), Bogota USAID 
Mission Director, and Meeks' Chief of Staff Sophia King accompanied 
the Congressman.  End Summary. 
 
 
 
USC PRESENTS TWO NEW INITIATIVES FOR AFRO-COLOMBIANS 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
 
 
¶2. (U) The Board of Directors of the University Santiago of Cali 
presented two initiatives for promoting social inclusion: 
 
 
 
-- a Master's program in Afro-American studies focused on the 
history and culture of Afro-descendents through the Americas; and 
 
-- an entrepreneurship program that gives seed money to young 
Afro-Colombian entrepreneurs to start their business. 
 
 
 
The Board of Directors also asked Congressman Meeks for help 
creating exchange programs with U.S. universities. 
 
 
 
MEEKS ENCOURAGES AFRO-COLOMBIAN STUDENTS TO PROMOTE CHANGE 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
 
 
¶3. (U) On October 12, the USC awarded Congressman Meeks with a 
medal for his work on Afro-Colombian issues.  Before receiving the 
medal, he delivered a speech to a group of 150 Afro-Colombian 
students, joined by USC faculty members and community leaders.  He 
told the audience that positive change for Afro-Colombian rights 
was possible and had already begun. 
 
 
 
AFRO-COLOMBIAN CAUCUS EXPLAINS REASON FOR DELAYS 
 
IN THE LAW OF EQUALITY AND OPPORTUNITY 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) Congressman Meeks met with Representatives Franklin Legro, 
Maria Isabel Urrutia, and Efren Palacios from the Afro-Colombian 
Caucus, as well as the Executive Secretary, Cesar Garcia to discuss 
the status of the Law on Equality and Opportunity for 
Afro-Colombians.  (Note: The Law on Equality and Opportunity is 
supposed to implement the recommendations of the Intersectoral 
Commission made public in May 2009.  End Note.)  Representative 
Legro explained the introduction of the bill to Congress had been 
delayed due to disagreements between the Vice President and 
Ministry of Interior and Justice (MOIJ).  He also noted that the 
pre-electoral campaign season was making it difficult to get any 
bill passed through Congress and it would be very difficult to get 
the law passed this legislative term. 
 
 
 
NEED FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN 
 
AFRO-COLOMBIAN GROUPS AND POLITICAL REPS. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶5. (U) Congressman Meeks met with a group of twelve Afro-Colombian 
leaders from civil society and eight from the business community. 
Each meeting highlighted the need for more communication among the 
Afro-Colombian Caucus, civil society, and business community.  Many 
of the members of civil society and the business community 
complained that their concerns were not listened to by the national 
government. 
 
 
 
¶6. (U) Afro-Colombian leaders complained about lack of funding and 
responsiveness from the national government, land titling problems, 
displacement, and the persistence of discrimination.  Business 
leaders were frustrated by a lack of access to credit and economic 
opportunities.  The U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) 
briefly came up and while most business leaders were supportive, 
one leader expressed concern that, once the FTA passes, the 
national government will not feel the political pressure from 
Washington to accede to Afro-Colombian demands. 
 
 
 
MAYOR/GOVERNOR DISPUTE NEED FOR AFFIRMATIVE ACTION 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) During dinner with Cali Mayor Jorge Ivan Ospina and 
Governor of the Valle del Cauca Department Juan Carlos Abadia, 
Congressman Meeks discussed affirmative action, drugs, and the FTA. 
Both the Mayor and the Governor disputed the need for racial based 
affirmative action policies.  The Governor asserted that everyone 
in the Valle del Cauca Department was treated equally under the 
law.  He claimed 45% of the senior officials working in the 
departmental government were of Afro-descent.  The Mayor argued 
that affirmative action policies didn't make sense when they were 
based on race.  He instead argued they should be based on 
geographic location.  After an in-depth discussion, both conceded 
that they might have taken too narrow a view of the problem and 
said they would again review their policies with an eye toward 
promoting greater inclusion. 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Mayor confirmed that drug consumption was up in Cali, 
as was violence due to drug trafficking.  He mentioned that in the 
last two weeks there had been 35 homicides all related to drug 
trafficking.  He asked for more help with dealing with this 
problem, as it was too big to deal with at the city level.  The 
Governor mentioned the recent confiscation in Buenaventura done in 
coordination with the United States, but also asked for more help 
in combating drug traffickers in Valle del Cauca. 
 
 
 
¶9. (SBU) Both the Mayor and Governor expressed concerns with the 
FTA.  The Mayor, a physician and former hospital administrator, 
feared that the FTA would hinder pharmaceutical companies' 
production of generic drugs.  The Governor told us the FTA would 
weaken the ability of labor unions to negotiate for higher labor 
standards.  CDA responded that the FTA favorably addresses both of 
those issues, and encouraged the two officials to review the text 
of the agreement.  He added that Colombia had already lost foreign 
direct investment in comparison to those countries in the region, 
like Peru and Chile, which had a ratified FTA with the United 
States. 
 
 
 
¶10. (U) CODEL Meeks cleared this message. 
NICHOLS