US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA1696

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 001696 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, ECON, CO 
SUBJECT: SO FAR SO GOOD: BOGOTA MAYOR GARZON'S FIRST YEAR 
IN OFFICE 
 
 
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Summary 
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1. (U) Bogota's left-of-center mayor, Luis Eduardo ("Lucho") 
Garzon, has avoided controversy and generally refrained from 
speaking out on national issues, particularly public 
security.  Garzon has drawn relatively little criticism for 
his administration's management of the city, although his 
governing coalition in the City Council has shown signs of 
strain.  He has maintained Bogota's credit rating, initiated 
promised social investment, and maintained existing programs 
(such as "Transmilenio" metro bus system construction).  The 
democratic left is starting to use him as proof that the left 
can provide responsible government, but Garzon has deferred 
any presidential hopes to 2010.  End Summary. 
 
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Fiscal Responsibility 
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2. (U) Despite fears that Garzon would empty the city's 
coffers with social spending, Bogota maintains its AAA credit 
rating.  Revenues are up 10 percent since he took office in 
January 2004. 
 
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Political Inclusivity 
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3. (U) Garzon named his cabinet from across the political 
spectrum.  He has worked with the private sector to develop 
his social programs.  Unlike his predecessors, Garzon has 
maintained good relations with the pluralistic City Council, 
which passed his development plan and requested a budget/debt 
ceiling (1.7 billion pesos, or roughly USD 7,650,000) for 
social investment with near unanimity.  However, his 
governing coalition in the Council, which includes members of 
Garzon's Democratic Pole (PDI, or "Polo") as well as 
Officialist Liberals and Conservatives, has shown recent 
signs of strain, including a birthday present to the mayor of 
a live rabbit (symbolizing unfulfilled promises) by an 
"Uribista" (allied with President Uribe) councilman. 
 
4. (SBU) Press has reported that Garzon has distanced himself 
from the PDI and has not delivered expected levels of 
patronage.  Fifteen councilmembers submitted blank ballots in 
protest when the Council elected Conservative Hipolito Moreno 
to be its president, despite a post-election deal giving the 
PDI the presidency in the first year, the Conservatives the 
second, the Liberals the third, and independents the fourth. 
However, PDI head and Senator Samuel Moreno told poloffs that 
Garzon has treated the PDI well and that several leading 
members are in key positions in the Bogota Administration. 
 
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Social Programs 
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5. (U) "Bogota Without Hunger" is Garzon's signature social 
program.  It features adult and school nutrition programs in 
Bogota's poorest neighborhoods, farmer's markets to provide 
low-cost food (the first has opened in Ciudad Bolivar), and 
augmented vitamin and vaccination programs.  Another 
representative program will pay families that send their 
children back to school USD 14 per month to offset what the 
children might have earned on the street.  Construction of 38 
new high schools is planned. 
 
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Public Space: An Achilles Heel 
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6. (U) Bogota residents complain bitterly about the invasion 
of public space by street vendors since Garzon took office. 
After initially relaxing the city's hold on public space, the 
Mayor has made efforts to limit the influx of under- and 
unemployed into the city's streets, but with little success. 
Murders and kidnappings are down, but there is a public 
perception that an increased presence of street vendors makes 
for more street crime. 
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Challenges 
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7. (U) Construction of the multi-billion dollar 
"Transmilenio" metro bus system continues despite the 
necessary repair of defective paving contracted by the 
Enrique Penalosa administration (late 1990s) with Mexico's 
Cemex.  Cleaning up the Bogota River will be a daunting 
challenge, if Garzon chooses to pursue it. 
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Presidential Hopes Deferred to 2010 
----------------------------------- 
 
8. (SBU) Should the Constitutional Court approve the new 
reelection law, Garzon could run for President in 2006, 
provided that he resigns from office by May of this year.  He 
has said publicly, however, that he will not do so.  Edgar 
Ruiz, Garzon's private secretary, told poloffs that Garzon 
will not run, but added that with a 72 percent approval 
rating in Bogota, he was just two points behind President 
Uribe in the city (end of 2004 polling numbers).  Ruiz said 
Garzon's goal is the Presidency in 2010, ideally in coalition 
with small left and center-left parties and the Officialist 
Liberals.  A near-term goal is for the PDI to develop a 
strong list of House and Senate candidates.  Ruiz pointed to 
the neck-and-neck polling numbers for Uribe and Garzon in 
Bogota as a sign that voters might split their ballots in 
2006 -- Uribe for President but center-left candidates for 
Congress.  Should the Constitutional Court strike down the 
reelection law and derail President Uribe's hopes for a 
second term, several potential opposition candidates -- 
including Garzon -- might reconsider their options. 
DRUCKER