US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA2773

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BOGOTA 002773 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMGT, ASEC, OTRA, CO 
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR DEMINING PAV 
 
REF: SECSTATE 41332 
 
1.  Country clearance is granted for Allan Schnabel, John 
Jordan, Stephen Meyer, and Harry McCloy to travel to Bogota 
April 4-8 2005.  Purpose of the visit is to assess the 
humanitarian demining situation in Colombia.  Travelers are 
requested to advise control officer ASAP if visit is canceled 
or changed. 
 
2.  Travelers to the capital city of Bogota may require some 
time to adjust to the altitude (8,600 feet), which can 
adversely affect blood pressure, digestion, sleep and energy 
level.  Inability to sleep through the night is especially 
common.  Most people, even those who are healthy and fit, 
feel some symptoms of hypoxia (lack of oxygen) upon arrival 
in Bogota.  Persons with medical conditions related to the 
circulatory or respiratory systems (high blood pressure, 
history of coronary heart disease, emphysema, for example), 
and anyone with sickle cell anemia, should ask their 
physician if travel to Bogota or other high-altitude 
locations is advisable.  U.S. government employees who do not 
have a Class I medical clearance are requested to check with 
M/MED before planning travel to Bogota.  Diamox, a medication 
commonly prescribed to aid with acclimatization, is not 
generally required for travel to Bogota.  However, it is 
advisable to limit physical activity and drink plenty of 
non-alcoholic beverages for the first two to three days after 
arriving in Bogota. 
 
3.  Control officer for this visit is Pol Officer Dana Brown, 
(h)571-621-7981, (cell) 57-310-584-8576, POL direct line is 
011-571-315-2129 (from US, no need of prefix once in Bogota), 
office extension is -2563.  POL fax number is (571) 315-2163. 
 The embassy is located at Calle 22D-BIS, No. 47-51.  Embassy 
after-hours telephone (direct to MSG Post One) is (571) 
315-2452. 
 
4.  Reporting Requirement:  Embassy Bogota is in an area with 
at least three operating foreign terrorist organizations. 
Security is the concern of all employees.  Therefore, all TDY 
personnel are required to report any suspicious activity or 
actual incidents to the Regional Security Office or the 
agency/office sponsoring their visit as soon as possible.  In 
all cases this will be done prior to the departure from 
Colombia of the TDY person or group. 
 
5.  Airport Arrivals/Transportation Services: Do not use 
local taxis or buses when arriving at the airport.  The 
following transportation arrangements have been made for your 
arrival: Dana Brown and an expediter will meet the travelers 
at airport and arrange all transportation. 
 
6.  Hotel reservations have been made at the Andino Royal on 
Calle 85, 12-28 in Bogota, phone number 571-651-3100.  Room 
rate is within per diem and includes breakfast.  Confirmation 
numbers are Schnabel 108367, Jordan 100369, Meyer 100370, and 
McCloy (vice Harris) 100368. 
 
7.  Passports and visas: All official visitors traveling on a 
diplomatic or official passport must have a diplomatic or 
official visa, respectively.  All U.S. Government employees 
or military personnel traveling on official business must use 
official or diplomatic passports with appropriate visas.  All 
contract employees using a tourist passport must have a work 
visa.  Departure tax from Bogota is USD 51.00 for holders of 
tourist passports who stay less than 60 days and USD 30.00 
for holders of diplomatic and official passports regardless 
of length of stay. 
 
8.  Current security assessment: 
-------------------------------- 
 
A.  Terrorism: Colombia is considered a high-threat 
environment. U.S. Government personnel can be considered 
targets by terrorist organizations. Personal and official 
travel outside Bogota to other locales in Colombia is 
strictly regulated by the embassy (see para 8).  Visitors 
must exercise prudence and good judgment to minimize risks 
and vulnerabilities.  The Revolutionary Armed Forces of 
Colombia (FARC) consider Plan Colombia a "Declaration of War" 
and have declared certain categories of USG personnel as 
legitimate targets.  Threats may also derive from 
paramilitaries and narcotics traffickers. 
 
B.  Crime:  Crime can be a serious problem for visiting 
personnel.  Street crimes such as purse-snatching, 
pick-pocketing, and fraud schemes are the most prevalent type 
of incident in which TDY personnel are involved, although 
violent crime and attempted carjackings also affect USG 
personnel sporadically.  In hotels, it is recommended that 
room safes or the hotel safe be used to store valuables. 
High-value items (jewelry, cameras, unnecessary credit cards, 
etc.) should be left at home. Luggage and attache cases 
(including laptop computers) should never be left unattended, 
even briefly, at the airport or in public areas.  When 
traveling in a vehicle, ensure the doors are locked and the 
windows rolled up. 
 
C.  Public Transportation:  Post policy prohibits the use of 
commercial buses.  If taxis are utilized, ensure the 
hotel/restaurant calls a taxi.  Avoid hailing one on the 
street.  Never share a cab with an unknown person (including 
the driver's "brother/son/cousin, etc.").  Ensure the meter 
is working or agree upon the fare prior to entering the 
vehicle. 
 
D.  As a general matter TDY personnel are not/not authorized 
to bring firearms into the country.  Those employees who 
believe they have a need for firearms should contact the 
Regional Security Office well before the visit. 
 
9.  Approval for country clearance is limited to those deemed 
mission essential.  Those granted clearances are required to 
abide by the same restrictions placed on all U.S. personnel 
at the embassy.  This includes prior clearance by the RSO and 
DCM for any RPT any personal or official travel outside of 
Bogota or any other TDY site. 
 
10.  Security briefings for Temporary Duty (TDY) Personnel 
are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 0930 to 1030 
in the Public Affairs Conference Room on the 2nd floor on the 
North side of the Embassy.  After the briefing, TDY employees 
will be issued an Embassy identification card valid for the 
length of their assignment.  If an Embassy identification 
badge expires based on an initial TDY country clearance for 
Colombia, a new Embassy badge may be reissued upon 
presentation of an updated country clearance for Colombia. 
TDY employees who will be in country for 14 calendar days or 
less will not be issued an Embassy identification card. 
 
11.  Laptop Computers, PDAs, Cameras 
 
A)  All personnel must declare all cameras, personal 
computers, including laptop and palm pilots, on the Colombian 
Immigration Form.  List these items in the "Traveler's Cash, 
Bonds and Luggage Declaration - Entry" area of the form.  The 
airline flight attendant provides this form to you prior to 
your arrival in Colombia.  You must submit the original copy 
to the Colombian customs authorities before leaving the 
airport.  Please keep the carbon copy of this form, as you 
will be asked for it when you leave. 
 
B)  USG laptops/palm pilots/cameras may not be brought into 
the Embassy without the prior approval of the Regional 
Security Office. Personally owned laptops/palm pilots may 
not/not be utilized inside the Embassy.  USG-owned laptops 
may only be used in controlled access areas (CAA - i.e., 
areas where classified information is discussed, processed or 
stored) if the user certifies that the computer has been 
under the personal control of a cleared American throughout 
transit.  If this requirement is not met, the laptop can only 
be utilized outside of the CAA. USG-owned palm pilots are 
under the same restrictions as cellular phones, and may not 
be utilized within a controlled access area. USG laptops/PDAs 
may not be connected in any way to a Department of State 
computer system. 
 
12.  Health and Medical:  No special inoculations or medical 
precautions are necessary for temporary travel to Bogota. 
Water and food are safe in the city's better restaurants, but 
avoid eating at small roadside stands as food preparation 
standards may be questionable.  The embassy recommends 
drinking bottled water (although tap water in Bogota proper 
is considered safe) and avoiding raw fish or seafood. Yellow 
fever vaccine is not required but the embassy and the CDC 
recommend that travelers receive vaccine if going to the 
middle valley of the Magdalena River, eastern and western 
foothills of the Cordillera Oriental from the border with 
Ecuador to that with Venezuela, Uraba, the foothills of the 
Sierra Nevada, eastern plains, and Amazonia.  They should 
carry their inoculation record and have the date of a current 
yellow fever vaccine recorded in it.  While there is no 
malaria risk in Bogota, there is risk in all rural areas at 
altitudes less than 800 meters. Use of prophylactic drugs is 
recommended. 
 
13.  Climate:  Due to the altitude, Bogota's weather is 
generally cool and temperatures range from 50 degrees 
Fahrenheit at night to 70 degrees during the day.  Rain 
showers occur frequently.  Sweaters and light jackets are 
recommended. Dark suit and tie for men and comparable dress 
for women are appropriate.  Contact the sponsoring office for 
local climate conditions should the TDY be performed outside 
of Bogota. 
 
14.  Exchange Facilities:  Banking and ATM services are 
located in the Embassy.  Personal checks are accepted and 
receive a 5 percent higher exchange rate than currency. The 
current exchange rate for checks is approximately 2,300 pesos 
for one dollar although the rate varies daily.  Visa and 
Mastercard are accepted at most restaurants and stores. 
However, credit card fraud is common and the Embassy 
recommends not using them unless necessary. 
 
15.  Additional information may be obtained at the Embassy 
website:  HTTP://USEMBASSY.STATE.GOV/COLOMBIA. 
WOOD