US embassy cable - 04BOGOTA1388

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 001388 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PINR, CO, CU 
SUBJECT: MAYOR GARZON'S UNEVENTFUL FIRST MONTH IN OFFICE 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood, Reasons: 1.5 B & D. 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  Leftist Bogota mayor Luis Eduardo "Lucho" 
Garzon's first month in office was largely uneventful. 
Garzon has not attempted to steal President Uribe's 
limelight, and has been virtually silent on security issues. 
Instead, Garzon has talked up social issues.  Thus far, 
however, he has not implemented any new programs.  Garzon is 
acting in a far more responsible and measured fashion than 
many pundits would have predicted.  His pre-inauguration 
visit to Cuba, however, did make headlines.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (U) Garzon's January 1 acceptance speech was conciliatory 
and measured.  While recognizing his roots in the political 
left, Garzon described himself as all-inclusive and stressed 
"I do not polarize."  Garzon offered to work with President 
Uribe on public security and promotion of rule of law.  He 
explicitly stated that Bogota was not an independent 
"republic" and that Uribe was the nation's president.  He 
promised new avenues for citizen participation and enhanced 
efforts to combat corruption.  Garzon also welcomed foreign 
investment.  Garzon criticized, however, Colombia's 
antiquated system of fiscal federalism, and promised to do 
more on the social side, in spite of tight finances.  He 
reiterated his campaign pledge to de-emphasize the "day 
without a vehicle" policy (established by law in an effort to 
reduce pollution) in favor of a "day without hunger" policy. 
 
3.  (C) In a February 4 meeting with poloffs, Garzon's 
private secretary (chief of staff equivalent), Edgar Ruiz, 
welcomed the recent formation of a pro-Garzon majority 
coalition in the city council and said it demonstrated the 
breadth of support for Garzon's socioeconomic agenda.  Ruiz 
noted that Bogota's finances are sound (with a very small 
deficit), a fact that would permit Garzon to offer additional 
spending on education and programs for the needy such as 
promised soup kitchens.  Ruiz added that Garzon's plan is to 
levy additional consumption taxes on the upper strata 
(telephone and electricity usage, for example) to provide 
extra resources.  Ruiz stressed that Garzon ceded public 
security issues to President Uribe and planned to focus on 
improving social conditions in Bogota. 
 
4.  (C) Garzon's pre-inauguration (late December) trip to 
Havana did garner headlines locally and internationally. 
Garzon advisor Daniel Garcia-Pena told PolCouns last month 
that Garzon's encounter with Fidel Castro was hastily 
arranged by the latter once Garzon was already on the island. 
 However, we have also heard the opposite.  Since taking 
office, Garzon has traveled only to Brazil to attend a 
municipal forum.  While there he also met with President De 
Silva.  According to Ruiz, Garzon hopes to visit the U.S. 
(most likely Miami) and Europe in either March or April. 
 
5.  (C) Comment:  Garzon's first month was a smooth ride. 
Garzon is a savvy politician, and is cognizant of President 
Uribe's 80 percent approval rating and excellent marks on 
public security.  He is unlikely to make waves on that front. 
 While he is prohibited from running for president in 2006, 
Garzon certainly is interested in Colombia's highest office, 
and needs to have a strong record of accomplishment in 
Bogota, a generally conservative city.  He is fortunate to 
have inherited a city that benefited from a decade (two terms 
of Antanas Mockus and one of Enrique Penalosa) of efficient 
management.  He has also inherited some ongoing public 
infrastructure projects which he will be able to inaugurate 
while in office.  We expect him to put his nose to the 
grindstone, attempting to improve infrastructure as well as 
socioeconomic conditions for the impoverished masses on 
Bogota's periphery.  He will have his work cut out for him, 
considering Bogota's high unemployment rate and public 
education deficit (an estimated 100,000 local children are 
not in school). 
WOOD