US embassy cable - 05MADRID1063

UNCLAS MADRID 001063 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PASS TO STUART LIPPE AND KIMBER SHEARER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON, EAID, PREL, CO, ECIN, PE, BL, VE, SP, EUN 
SUBJECT: SPAIN'S AID PROGRAM IN ANDEAN REGION 
 
REF: STATE 27676 
 
1. Econoff met March 13 with Spanish Agency for International 
Development (AECI) officials in the Subdirectorate General 
for South America to answer reftel questions.  Our contacts 
noted that Andean countries have been priorities for Spanish 
Aid for several years, and that most Andean countries will 
continue to be recipients of Spanish aid under the New 
Spanish Assistance Plan for 2005-2008.  Priority countries 
for Spanish assistance in the region are Bolivia, Ecuador and 
Peru for the low level of economic development and Colombia 
for the political violence that continues there.  Venezuela 
will not be a Spanish official development assistance 
recipient in the new aid plan. 
 
2. Our AECI contacts were able to provide figures for Spanish 
assistance in Andean countries from 2000-2003.  They have not 
yet compiled assistance numbers for 2004 or developed 
individual country aid plans for 2005.  The totals which 
include both reimbursable credits and non-reimbursable 
assistance for each country by year as follows.  Note: 
negative numbers indicate years where receipts from 
previously granted credits outweighed new assistance. Numbers 
are given in the following format and int USD at an exchange 
rate of EUR 1=USD 1.34. 
 
 
COUNTRY 
2000 
2001 
2002 
2003 
 
Bolivia 
32,580,049 
45,530,813 
43,634,878 
61,029,986 
 
Colombia 
-2,317,234 
35,561,308 
57,911,639 
17,019,797 
 
Ecuador 
16,157,265 
25,570,529 
89,933,222 
29,146,485 
 
Peru 
26,927,375 
40,714,078 
47,382,536 
52,591,768 
 
Venezuela 
40,913,444 
17,070,285 
41,160,696 
42,303,997 
 
 
3. Our contacts noted that the U.S. seemed more interested in 
Colombia than the rest of the region and were interested in 
our description of U.S. aid programs in Colombia.  They said 
that Spanish aid to Colombia focuses on cementing peace, 
human rights issues and helping vulnerable populations.  They 
noted that our AECI project managers in Andean countries are 
in regular contact with USAID country directors. 
MANZANARES