US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA7621

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BOGOTA 007621 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2015 
TAGS: EAID, PREL, CO, CODEL 
SUBJECT: CONGRESSMAN MEEKS MEETS WITH PRESIDENT URIBE, VICE 
PRESIDENT SANTOS AND MINISTER OF INTERIOR AND JUSTICE 
PRETELT 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Milton K. Drucker for reasons 1. 
4 (b) and (d) 
 
 1. (C) Summary.  Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY) met with 
President Uribe on August 5 toward the end of his seven day 
visit to Colombia which focused on the Afro-Colombian 
community and included stops in Bogota, Tumaco, Beunaventura, 
Cali, Choco and Cartagena (septel).  Meeks told Uribe that 
the visit had helped him understand why Plan Colombia 
continued to be important and that he planned to take back 
this message to his colleagues in the Congress.  While noting 
past administrations had neglected the Afro-Colombian 
community, he acknowledged Uribe's efforts to correct that 
but recommended an affirmative action plan for the community 
to "catch them up."  In addition, he suggested that the 
president: (1) allocate resources to provide potable water 
and sewage treatment plants for Afro-Colombian communities on 
the Pacific coast; (2) appoint an Afro-Colombian to a 
cabinet-level position; and (3) establish a national 
commission dedicated to advancing opportunities for the 
Afro-Colombian community.  Meeks said these efforts could 
provide hope in the short-term to the affected communities, 
as well as increased political support from members of the 
Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and others in the Congress, 
who would be considering legislation related to Colombia.  He 
also asked that Uribe meet with the CBC when he passes 
through Washington in September on his way to the UNGA. 
Uribe agreed to all of the Congressman's suggestions.  Meeks 
also raised Hugo Chavez and asked Uribe to persuade the 
Venezuelan leader to change his rhetoric toward the U.S.  He 
said Chavez was misunderstood and wanted a better 
relationship with the U.S. 
 
2. (C) Earlier in the week, on August 2, Congressman Meeks 
met with Vice President Santos.  The Vice President stressed 
that the Uribe Administration was the first in Colombia to 
work to improve the situation of Afro-Colombians through 
various projects.  He noted that the ongoing national census 
asked about ethnicity for the first time, which would enable 
the GOC to quantify its Afro-Colombian population.  Meeks 
also met with Minister Pretelt on August 2.  He underscored 
the importance of developing a social and economic 
development plan and an affirmative action program to improve 
the lives of Afro-Colombians.  He also suggested that the 
Free Trade Agreement be designed to help generate employment 
for Afro-Colombians and other disadvantaged populations. 
Pretelt assured Meeks that addressing the violence and 
poverty suffered by the Afro-Colombian community was a key 
priority for the Uribe Administration.  End Summary. 
 
 
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MEETING WITH URIBE 
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3. (C) On August 5, Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY) met with 
President Uribe for approximately 90 minutes at the airport 
in Bogota.  Uribe had just landed from his visit to Houston, 
Crawford and San Diego.  He was accompanied by Colombian 
Ambassador to the U.S. Luis Alberto Moreno and MFA director 
for North American Affairs Francisco Gonzalez.  Congressman 
Meeks was accompanied by staffer Ian Campbell, DCM Milton 
Drucker, Polcouns (notetaker) and USAID control officer. 
 
4. (C) Uribe opened by thanking Congressman Meeks and the 
rest of the U.S. Congress for assisting Colombia in its fight 
to overcome terrorism, bring security to the country, and 
increase job opportunities.  Despite the security challenges, 
unemployment had dropped 6.5 percent during his 
administration, to 11.4 percent.  Uribe said he had developed 
seven "tools for equity" to achieve such results: (1) 
advancing educational opportunities; (2) establishing social 
security programs; (3) promoting social and economic 
development; (4) rural development; (5) expanding social 
services; (6) constructing housing; and (7) improving the 
quality of urban life.  His administration was working hard 
with very limited resources.  Colombia needed to fight for a 
better security situation militarily but also with economic 
expansion to overcome poverty.  He reviewed several programs 
across the country which fed children, subsidized health 
services, and transferred land deeds to disadvantaged 
communities, including members of the Afro-Colombian 
community. He also hoped to launch an agreement between 
Afro-Colombian communities and entrepreneurs to develop oil 
palm cultivation as an alternative to illicit crops. 
 
5. (C) Congressman Meeks reported that his week-long trip in 
Colombia, which included stops in Tumaco, Buenaventura, Cali, 
and Choco, had been helpful in developing a clearer 
understanding of why Plan Colombia continued to be important. 
 He noted that without security, there was not much any 
government could do, and that Uribe's "heart and deeds" were 
moving to change Colombia for the benefit of all Colombians. 
He planned to take that message back home to Congressional 
colleagues.  Meeks acknowledged Uribe's efforts toward the 
Afro-Colombian community, which he stressed was larger than 
Zimbabwe's entire population.  He said prior to Uribe's 
presidency, the African Colombian community had been 
neglected, especially on the Pacific coast, and the GOC had 
to make up for lost ground.  Uribe interjected that his 
efforts were far less than what was needed. 
 
6. (C) Meeks said an affirmative action plan was needed for 
the Afro-Colombian community to "catch them up."  "We are 
living in the 21st century and they are stuck in the 19th." 
While security was being restored, which could result in 
needed investment, there were other initiatives that could be 
launched immediately to give hope to African-Colombian 
communities, in particular on the Pacific coast.  One was 
providing potable water; another was constructing sewage 
treatment plants, which would immediately improve health 
standards and push down high infant mortality rates.  Such 
efforts would make an enormous impact and provide hope. 
Meeks said similar projects in the deep south of the U.S. a 
half century ago had had this kind of impact.  He also 
proposed that Uribe appoint an Afro-Colombian to a 
cabinet-level position, which he said would be an important 
symbol to everyone.  Meeks stressed that these kinds of 
gestures would improve Colombia's image among the 
Congressional Black Caucus, who would be voting soon on the 
Andean Free Trade Agreement and Plan Colombia. 
 
7. (C) Meeks also raised the idea of a blue ribbon commission 
dedicated to advancing opportunities for the Afro-Colombian 
community, similar to what President Truman did in 1946 for 
civil rights in the U.S.  He recommended that the President 
serve as co-chair along with the Afro-Colombian cabinet level 
official, and the new president of the Inter-American 
Development Bank (current Colombian Ambassador to the U.S. 
Luis Alberto Moreno).  Meeks believed he could secure 
financial help from such U.S. luminaries as Danny Glover, 
Oprah Winfrey, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Bill Gates to 
support the effort.  He predicted that a commission would put 
an international focus on GOC efforts to eradicate racism, 
and at the same time, generate further goodwill among members 
of the CBC.  Meeks said he could bring in at least half of 
the CBC's 40-plus membership.   He said he had taken 
considerable heat because of his support for CAFTA but 
believed it was the right message to send to Latin America. 
Moreno noted the earmark for programs for Afro-Colombians 
under Plan Colombia, and suggested that this be tapped for 
some of the Congressman's ideas, especially regarding potable 
water and sewage treatment.  He suggested that the IDB could 
complement efforts by lending assistance for 
micro-enterprises in these areas. 
 
8. (C) Uribe responded that he would implement Meeks's ideas 
immediately: he would form a commission and select someone to 
run it whom he would elevate to a "high executive level" in 
the government.  He agreed to allocate additional monies to 
local authorities for potable water and sewage treatment 
plants on the Pacific coast.  He cautioned, however, that he 
continued to have problems with corruption with many 
municipal governments.  Although much government money for 
development projects had been allocated to individual 
departments since 1991, the GOC had seen few results because 
of corruption.  Nonetheless, he agreed short-term victories 
were important to instill hope in these communities, and he 
would not hold back trying to assist them. 
 
9. (C) Uribe also agreed to meet with the Congressional Black 
Caucus during his trip to the U.S. in September. 
 
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One More Thing...Chavez 
----------------------- 
 
10. (C) Meeks asked Uribe to encourage Hugo Chavez to change 
his rhetoric toward the U.S.  Meeks noted that he meets with 
Chavez regularly and probably knew him better than most in 
Washington.  He stressed that Chavez was misunderstood, 
wanted a better relationship with the U.S., and President 
Uribe could encourage him along these lines.  He noted that, 
other than Fidel Castro, Chavez talked to him mostly about 
Lula and Uribe.  If you get together with Chavez and Lula, 
said Meeks, the three of you can do many good things for the 
region.  Uribe responded that he had asked Chavez's help in 
seizing terrorist leaders in Venezuela and that help had been 
uneven.  Moreno noted that Uribe repeatedly encouraged Chavez 
to lower his rhetoric and reach out to Washington, but the 
tough, anti-American speeches continued. 
 
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CODEL MEETING WITH VICE PRESIDENT SANTOS 
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11. (C) On August 2, CODEL Meeks met with Vice President 
Santos and representatives from the Presidency,s program for 
human rights, the Ministry of Education, the National Police, 
the Ministry of Interior and Justice and the Social Security 
Network.  Santos noted that the Uribe Administration was the 
first in Colombia to work to improve the situation for 
Afro-Colombians through various projects including a policy 
of affirmative action and programs focused on health, 
nutrition, school retention, and the improvements of the 
electric and aquatic infrastructure in areas where 
Afro-Colombians are concentrated.  Santos underscored that 
one of the biggest achievements is the ongoing census, which 
will ask about ethnicity.  One of the biggest problems for 
the GOC has been its inability to quantify the Afro-Colombian 
population. 
 
12. (C) Congressman Meeks said he was pleased to see that the 
GOC had made a giant first step in recognizing 
Afro-Colombians.  A policy of affirmative action was key to 
begin opening doors that have been shut to Afro-Colombians. 
He said the GOC needed to take the lead in improving the 
situation for Afro-Colombians and to ensure Afro-Colombian 
areas will benefit from the free trade agreement.  He also 
said free education beginning at the primary school level 
remained key. 
 
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CODEL MEETING WITH MINISTER OF INTERIOR AND JUSTICE PRETELT 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
13. (U) Also on August 2, CODEL Meeks discussed 
Afro-Colombian issues with Minister of Interior and Justice 
Sabas Pretelt.  Congressman Meeks underscored the importance 
of developing a social and economic development plan and an 
affirmative action program to improve the lives of 
Afro-Colombians, who had long suffered from neglect and 
violence.  He suggested that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) 
be designed to help generate employment at all levels for 
Afro-Colombians and other disadvantaged populations.  He 
noted that he would be visiting areas with large 
Afro-Colombian populations, such as Choco Department and 
Cartagena, and hoped to work with the GOC, civil society, and 
philanthropists to create a comprehensive civil rights 
program for sustainable development. 
 
14. (U) Pretelt assured Meeks that addressing the violence 
and poverty many Afro-Colombians suffered was a key priority 
for the Uribe Administration and noted that, as a native of 
Cartagena, he was well aware of the difficulties they faced. 
He expressed confidence that the FTA would generate 
employment for all Colombians, including Afro-Colombians; the 
GOC expected the FTA to lower unemployment from 12 percent to 
five or six percent.  In response to a question from Meeks, 
Pretelt and his staff reviewed recent progress of the 
affirmative action program: 16,000 new spaces in schools for 
Afro-Colombians had been created for 2005, 68 municipalities 
had been identified as target areas, and 26 regional 
assessments had been done on living standards for 
Afro-Colombians.  At Meeks, suggestion, Pretelt pledged to 
work with the National Administrative Department of 
Statistics (DANE) to ensure that the upcoming census would 
fully identify the Afro-Colombian population. 
WOOD