VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #4066/01 3561422
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 221421Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1703
INFO RHMFIUU/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS BOGOTA 004066 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EINV ECON PHUM MOPS SENV EAID SOCI SCUL PREL CO
SUBJECT: FOR RELEASE: INTO THE JUNGLE: AMBASSADOR VISITS AMAZONAS 
 
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SUMMARY 
 
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¶1. (SBU) The Ambassador traveled for the first time in his tenure 
to the Amazonas Department and its capital, Leticia, on November 18 
and 19.  During his visit, he met with representatives from 
indigenous communities, the local tourism sector, local, 
department, and federal government officials, and NGO leaders about 
the needs and challenges in the region.  He also met with many 
monkeys, including a grouchy alpha male.  Most of the region's 
needs centered around economic development with a focus on 
ecotourism.  While a select few organizations have managed to 
balance conservation and local economic needs, a lack of thoughtful 
planning for increased tourism demand could put the region's 
treasures at risk.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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BALANCING CONSERVATION AND MODERN NEEDS 
 
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¶2. (U) The Ambassador met with representatives from the 
Ticuna-Cocama indigenous community in a "town hall"-type setting. 
Community leaders expressed their concerns about preserving the 
larger community's heritage and the importance of environmental 
preservation in their region.  As part of the USAID-sponsored 
Initiative for the Conservation of the Andean Amazon (ICAA), the 
community has received small grants aimed at strengthening 
self-regulation, training women and youth about sustainable 
fisheries, and improving community capacity to negotiate with 
government entities.  During their meeting with the Ambassador, 
representatives cited the the need to preserve and sustain their 
way of life through improved access to education and markets for 
their handicrafts and traditional medicine. 
 
¶3. (U) The Ambassador also visited a local public school that aims 
to balance indigenous and modern culture through the educational 
environment and curriculum.  The Camilo Torres School serves 
children mainly from the Ticuna-Cocama indigenous community.  The 
school's principal and the Leticia Secretary of Education 
emphasized that in order for the children to succeed and preserve 
their culture and surrounding environment, they must also be 
well-educated in the languages and culture of their neighbors.  The 
students receive instruction not only in Spanish, but in 
Portuguese, Ticuna, and some English.  During the school visit, the 
Ambassador donated a collection of books provided by the Public 
Affairs Section (PAS) to assist in the school's successful 
integrative support to indigenous communities. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Cultural preservation in Amazonas is inextricably linked 
to environmental conservation.  Amacayacu National Park is the 
centerpiece of conservation in the Colombian Amazon.  The 
Ambassador met with the Director of the park, Alexander Alfonso, 
the Regional Director for the Amazon and the Orinoquia from the 
Colombian National Parks Department, Rodrigo Botero, and Director 
of the Omacha Foundation (NGO), Fernando Trujillo.  The Amacayacu 
National Park was created in 1975 and spans 293,500 hectares.  The 
park not only protects flora and fauna of the Amazon region, but 
also is home to indigenous communities.  The Ambassador visited a 
rehabilitation center for seven species of monkeys that have been 
rescued from exploitation in the international black market for 
exotic animals.  By staffing the center with local community 
members trained to care for the monkeys, the park's management both 
provides employment and protects the vulnerable flora and fauna in 
the region. 
 
¶5. (U) Another organization that effectively balances conservation 
with the need for employment and education is the Omacha 
Foundation.  An environmental NGO, the foundation has worked 
closely with communities in the Amazon region to protect the pink 
dolphin (a rare species native to the Amazon) and to end the use of 
its meat for bait.  In order to protect and preserve the fauna of 
the Amazon, the foundation has sponsored outreach programs to 
schools, fishermen, the tourism sector, local authorities, and 
 
researchers, on the importance of conserving Colombia's unique 
aquatic species.  Omacha has sponsored artisanal craft programs and 
other sustainable eco-tourism programs that provide an economic 
resource for local communities.  The Ambassador met with the 
director of the foundation, Dr. Trujillo, who detailed the NGO's 
work and highlighted the importance of conserving the natural 
resources of the area while developing income-generating projects 
for the local community. 
 
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WHOM DO WE ATTRACT? FINDING A PLAN FOR THE TOURISM INDUSTRY 
 
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¶6. (U) The Amazonas Department is the largest department in 
Colombia, but only has 48,000 inhabitants, 53% of whom live in 
Leticia and Puerto Narino, municipalities located along a 
116-kilometer slice of the Amazon River.  The current economy of 
Amazonas Department, which borders Brazil and Peru, contributes 
less than .05% to Colombia's GDP.  Local and department leaders 
have been vocal about their desire to improve the economy through 
the ecotourism sector, but have been unable to reach concrete 
conclusions as to how to do this. 
 
¶7. (SBU) During the Ambassador's visit he met with Jose Ricaurte 
Rojas Guerrero, Mayor of Leticia; Maria Isabel Diaz, a 
representative from the Amazonas Governor's office and the 
Governor's wife; and leaders in the tourism industry.  All parties 
expressed the overwhelming need and desire for a strengthened 
economic situation with additional opportunities to grow the 
tourism sector, but differed in their overall vision for how to 
best tap the Amazon's unique environment to attract tourists.  The 
Mayor requested the Ambassador's support in protecting Leticia and 
the department of Amazonas from the migration of "outsiders," or 
non-native individuals, to the region.  The mayor suggested a plan 
similar to that in the San Andres Islands, which would establish 
clear residence requirements and promote the protection of the 
communities in the region.  This was suggested as an opportunity to 
protect the local economy and provide preference to the natives of 
the region. 
 
¶8. (U) During a breakfast meeting, tourism industry leaders 
stressed the importance of stimulating the ecotourism sector to 
improve the local economy, but had different suggestions for an 
approach to this.  Everyone recognized that the area lacks 
important infrastructure, with only 25 miles of paved roads and 
insufficient hotel rooms to accommodate an increase in visitors, 
but there was a lack of an overall plan on how to attract the 
high-income "boutique" eco-tourists the group seemed to be 
interested in attracting.  The Chamber of Commerce is interested in 
building a convention center in Leticia, which runs counter to the 
tourism industry's interest in fewer, but higher-quality tourists. 
All participants emphasized the importance of the international 
community's involvement and resources to help them develop the 
tourism sector.  A proposal for a safari-type park was put forth to 
the Ambassador.  The Ambassador cautioned that any kind of safari 
park or zoo would need to be carefully developed.  In addition, the 
Ambassador pointed out that if they wanted to capitalize on Leticia 
as an area for ecotourism, a traditional zoo featuring caged 
endangered Amazon animals would negatively impact that image. 
 
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FIRST STEP: CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE 
 
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¶9. (SBU) Despite the discord in their views on tourism, all parties 
agreed that infrastructure development and cross-border cooperation 
were central to the region's growth.  The military is leading this 
effort.  In contrast to much of the rest of Colombia, the 
military's presence in Amazonas is mainly for cross-border 
cooperation and training.  About 90 minutes outside of Leticia, by 
boat, is the GOC's Lancero jungle training school.  The school is 
modeled after the U.S. Army's Ranger school, and this campus is the 
last stop before graduation.  While visiting the school, the 
Ambassador took a tour of the obstacle course and the training 
 
facility.  At the time of his visit there was one U.S. Army 
representative enrolled in the course. 
 
¶10. (U) While infrastructure is lacking in the Amazonas Department, 
the Colombian Air Force (CAF) is currently constructing an air 
force base on the same property as the civilian airport.  The 
increased capacity of the airport, with a longer runway, will allow 
for additional commercial flights to utilize the airport. 
 
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COMMENT 
 
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¶11. (SBU) While all parties the Ambassador met with in Amazonas 
expressed a strong desire to improve economic development and 
increase ecotourism, no one put forward a plan to achieve these 
goals.  Furthermore, the desired goals varied from sector to 
sector, causing some minor friction.  As the Ambassador noted in 
all of his meetings, the greater community's failure to create a 
concrete plan would represent a lost economic opportunity for the 
region. END COMMENT. 
 
BROWNFIELD