VZCZCXRO8039
OO RUEHAO RUEHCD RUEHHO RUEHNG RUEHRS
DE RUEHBO #0167/01 0362335
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 052335Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2644
INFO WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 000167 
 
SIPDIS 
1TFK@STATE.GOV, WHA/CAR FOR V DE PIRRO AND IO/UNP FOR B NARANJO AND M GARUCKIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PGOV ECON PREL MARR KPAO CO HA
SUBJECT: TFHA01: COLOMBIA'S LARGEST HUMANITARIAN EFFORT EVER 
 
REF: BOGOTA 105 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  Colombian assistance to Haiti is ongoing and is 
the largest overseas humanitarian effort in the country's history. 
The Ambassador and Government of Colombia (GOC) officials 
highlighted Colombian assistance to Haiti at a public appearance 
with a backdrop of Colombian and U.S. troops loading Colombian 
humanitarian supplies onto a U.S. C-130 destined for Haiti.  The 
Colombian Vice Minister of Health expressed  the GOC's willingness 
to accept a small number of Haitian patients pending availability 
of resources and the resolution of several logistical issues for 
the patients and accompanying family members.  Colombia offered to 
increase its MINUSTAH officers in Haiti from 27 to 35 in response 
to a U.N. request for additional MINUSTAH forces.  President Uribe 
announced plans to attend an UNASUR meeting to address regional 
Haiti assistance efforts.  Colombian National Police (CNP) General 
Oscar Naranjo will travel soon to Haiti at the invitation of the 
United Nations; the CNP offered to host 100 children of Haitian 
police for one year.  End Summary. 
 
 
 
U.S. Transports Colombian-Donated Supplies to Haiti 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Ambassador and GOC officials attended an event to send 
off a U.S. C-130 destined for Haiti on February 4.  The plane 
contained six pallets of humanitarian supplies that will be 
distributed in Haiti by U.S. forces from Guantanamo.  The 
Ambassador praised Colombian relief efforts in Haiti and 
highlighted ongoing U.S.-Colombia cooperation.  He also noted that 
the same C-130 had earlier delivered U.S.-donated firefighting 
equipment to Palanquero base, one of seven bases identified in the 
Defense Cooperation Agreement.  The U.S. donation will help combat 
forest fires in many parts of Colombia (septel).  The event 
received extensive media coverage. 
 
 
 
Embassy Explores Further USG-Colombia Cooperation 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Emboffs met with Vice Minister of Health Carlos Cuervo 
Valencia and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 
February 5 to discuss possible transfer of Haitian patients to 
Colombia for medical treatment.  Cuervo expressed the GOC's 
willingness to accept between five and ten Haitian patients pending 
availability of resources and the resolution of several key 
logistical concerns, including transportation of the patients to 
Colombia, lodging, language, and consular issues for the patients 
and accompanying family members.  He also emphasized that the GOC 
has yet to identify how hospitals will be reimbursed for providing 
care, with private hospitals more likely to be able to shoulder the 
burden.  Cuervo agreed to reach out to various health institutions 
and provide the Embassy a list of available hospitals, points of 
contact, and other information next week. 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) The GOC has been discussing other areas of possible 
Colombian assistance with the Haitian Interior Minister.  The 
Colombian Ministry of Interior has drafted a proposal for 
post-disaster reconstruction, including a rehabilitation center for 
Haitian amputees, school construction, and technical assistance, 
sharing its experience from a tragic earthquake in Colombia. 
Colombia has committed eight additional MINUSTAH officers in 
response to the U.N. request for additional MINUSTAH forces, 
raising the Colombian MINUSTAH presence to 35 police.  The GOC has 
also offered to send 40 additional Armed Forces troops to Haiti. 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Colombian Air Force had earlier considered 
transporting three Haitian patients for treatment in Colombian 
hospitals at the request of a Colombian doctor in Haiti.  However, 
it was determined the patients could be treated appropriately in 
Haiti. 
 
BOGOTA 00000167  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶6. (U)  Haitian exports to Colombia are traditionally not 
significant - - approximately $204,000 worth of goods in 2008. 
However, Post plans to inquire with GOC trade officials on the 
viability of symbolically eliminating or reducing tariffs on 
Haitian products entering Colombia. 
 
 
 
UNASUR to Discuss Regional Cooperation 
 
-------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) Ecuador has reached out to UNASUR countries, organizing a 
meeting on February 9 to address assistance to Haiti.  President 
Uribe plans to attend, but MFA officials told us an official agenda 
is still pending. 
 
 
 
CNP Offer to Host 100 Haitian Children 
 
-------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶8. (U) The Colombian National Police (CNP)-- continuing a history 
of close cooperation between the police forces of the two countries 
-- has offered to host 100 children (aged 7-16) of Haitian police 
officials to study at CNP schools in Colombia for one year.  The 
Haitian children would stay with Colombian host families in police 
communities.  The MFA reports that legal issues are still being 
worked out, but the beneficiaries of the program would be children 
of Haitian police with parental permission. 
 
 
 
¶9. (U) The CNP also sent 160 tons of supplies to the Haitian police 
as well as 20 police medical personnel to assist police and their 
families.  CNP General Oscar Naranjo announced that he will be 
traveling to Haiti at the invitation of the United Nations within 
the next few days. 
 
 
 
Ongoing Colombian Aid 
 
--------------------- 
 
 
 
¶10. (U) According to the MFA's Office of International Cooperation, 
Colombia currently has 111 personnel on the ground in Haiti, 
including 20-30 doctors.  Moreover, the Colombians have distributed 
300 tons of food to 93,000 Haitians through the Colombian Red 
Cross.  Colombian search and rescue teams rescued three people from 
the rubble and returned the remains of 198 Haitian victims to their 
families. 
 
 
 
¶11. (SBU) Colombia has sent a total of 2,937 tons of humanitarian 
supplies via sea and air, a field medical detachment, police units, 
search and rescue teams, and 440 personnel to Haiti.  The Colombian 
navy ship Cartagena continues to unload supplies in Haiti and will 
remain in Port-au-Prince for the next 45 days providing medical 
care for Haitians in its sick bays.  A second ship, the 
Buenaventura, left Colombia on February 4 with 930,204 pounds of 
humanitarian supplies.  It is scheduled to arrive in Haiti on 
February 11. 
 
 
 
¶12. (SBU) SOUTHCOM has officially accepted Colombian military 
forces working in Haiti under its support structure to include the 
Colombian military field medical detachment.  The Colombian 
military is looking for a bilingual liaison officer to facilitate 
coordination with the U.S. military in Haiti. 
BROWNFIELD