Colombia,
A Positive Country
Prepared by:
Affairs Coordinator
Internal and External Communications
Ministry of Foreign Relations
• GLYPHOSATE DOES NOT DAMAGE
THE ENVIRONMENT: CICAD: the herbicide Glyphosate, used in Colombia
for aerial fumigation
of illegal crops such as coca and opium poppies, does not affect
human health nor does it cause any kind of damage to the environment.
Thus confirmed the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission
in response to a petition formulated by the governments of Colombia,
the United States, and the United Kingdom. The study shows that
there are no risks for human health or for the environment, and
on the contrary, it indicates that 97% of the current deterioration
is caused by trees being cut down, indiscriminate burning, and
the pesticides and herbicides used by the coca and poppy farmers.
• 500 THOUSAND CHILDREN AND WOMEN
VACCINATED: the national government held the first large-scale
vaccination campaign of
2005 this week, with the purpose of vaccinating 500 thousand
children and women who are pregnant or of reproductive age. It
was celebrated as part of the Vaccination Week in the Americas,
promoted by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and
was held in 34 countries on the continent. The investment in
the expanded immunization program is almost $100 billion Colombian
pesos annually for the full process, from the purchase of the
vaccination to its administration.
• CHINA AFTER RIGHTS TO PUBLISH
GABO: during its visit
to Bogotá as the guest of honor in the 18th International
Book Fair, the Chinese government announced, through its delegate
to the event, Zu Zhencai, that it is interested in acquiring
the rights to all the works by the Colombian writer and Nobel
Prize winner in Literature, Gabriel García Márquez.
Contacts have been made with Gabo’s representative, the
Spanish woman Carmen Balcells. The Chinese emissary also announced
that the novel "Angosta" (Narrow), by the writer Héctor
Abad Faciolince, is one of the five titles selected by the government
in Beijing for translation and distribution in that country.
SOCIAL INVESTMENT
• SUPERIOR EDUCATION FOR REMOTE
REGIONS: In 2005, close to 5,500 students in the remotest regions
of the country will
have the chance to access technical, technological, and professional
training in each one of their regions by means of virtual distance
education programs, thanks to the Community Centers for Superior
Education. The Ministry of Education, in alliance with Departmental
and Municipal administrations will implement 40 of these sites,
investing $9,463 million Colombian pesos.
• 1,200 PROPERTIES TO POOR FAMILIES
IN BARRANQUILLA: President Álvaro
Uribe handed over titles to 1,200 properties to the same number
of families from the neighborhoods of “7 de Abril” and “Girasoles” in
Barranquilla. The land, which belongs to Inurbe, will become
the first land owned by the benefiting families. Awarding property
titles in the capital of the Department of Atlantico is part
of a government policy being carried out since 2004, together
with the District of Barranquilla. The idea is to legalize the
ownership of 15,000 plots of real estate in Barranquilla, Santa
Marta, Cartagena and Montería.
• MICRO CREDITS FOR LOW-INCOME
HOUSING: banks and cooperatives have given out $377,752 million
Colombian pesos in credits and
micro credits, in 2004 and 2005 to date, to foment low-income
housing through agreements signed between the government and
those two economic sectors. Of the total resources, $350,765
million were disbursed in 2004, while the remaining $26,987 million
correspond to loans that have been reported this year by the
banks affiliated with the Colombian Institute of Savings and
Housing (ICAV). The financial sector has given out 14,170 loans
in the amount of $359,135 million.
Sustainable Economic Growth and Generation of Employment
• CHINESE OIL COMPANY TO EXPLORE
OPPORTUNITIES IN COLOMBIA: the Colombian government, through the National Agency of Hydrocarbons,
signed a Memorandum of understanding with the China National
Oil & Gas Exploration and Development Corporation (CNODC)
to organize a visit to Colombia within the next 30 days to obtain
information on exploration areas, and then, within 45 days, to
express a specific interest in some block, upon which the ANH
will offer priority to the Chinese company for assignment to
the requested area.
• TARIFF PREFERENCES FOR COLOMBIA
IN PANAMA: starting
this week, close to 200 Colombian products may now enter the
Panamanian market under a lower tariff rate. The tariff rates
for fish, and shellfish, palm hearts, tropical fruits, pea pods,
broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, beets, olives, capers, garlic,
carrots, white sauce, vinegar, medicine, rubber, trunks and suitcases,
paper, and safety glass, among others, will be reduced by 70
to 100% off the tax Panama charges on products from other countries.
The new benefits are a result of the application of the “Second
Protocol Addition to the Economic Complement Agreement” signed
between Colombia and Panama.
• 2004, GOOD YEAR FOR 10,235
BUSINESSES: last year was good for the manufacturing, commerce, construction,
service,
agriculture, mining, transportation and investment activity sectors,
according to the study done by the Superintendency of Corporations.
The research concluded that the assets, liabilities, equity,
and earnings grew in these businesses, contributing to the good
year reported for the national economy, which grew at a rate
of 4.12% in 2004. The assets of these 10,235 corporations grew
14.8%.
• EXPORTS TO THE UNITED KINGDOM
GREW 50%: a market study done by Proexport indicated that total
Colombian exports to the
United Kingdom grew 50% from 2003 to 2004, going from US $184.3
million to US $276.4 million. The increase was seen in the sales
of non-traditional products, which grew 61%, going from US $99.4
million in 2003, to US $160.2 million in 2004.
• NEW CONTRACTS FOR OIL EXPLORATION: the Board of Directors
of the National Agency of Hydrocarbons authorized seven new contracts
for exploration and production of hydrocarbons. The Rio Cabrera
Block, in the Upper Valley of the Magdalena was assigned to Hocol
(US $3.96 million). Ecopetrol was assigned the Caño Sur
Block, in the Llanos (US $5.3 million). Argosy Energy International
will work the Chaza contract in the Putumayo reserve (US $767,000).
Petrominerales was assigned the Corcel Block (US $640,000) and
the Casanare Block (US $680,000). The Rancho Hermoso Company
was assigned the Río Cravo Block in the Llanos, (US $267,000).
And Huepecol will explore the Canacabare Block, also in the eastern
Llanos (US $1 million).
STATE EFFICIENCY AND TRANSPARENCY
• GOVERNMENT UPDATED TEACHERS’ PROMOTIONS:
close to $200,000 million Colombian pesos will be spent by
the national
government to catch up on the promotions of close to 280,000
teachers in the country, which were frozen for as long as three
years due to a technical confusion in the distribution of those
resources in 2002, which was corrected. To carry out the process,
the Minister of Education issued Decree 1095 on April 11, by
means of which instructions were given to the Secretaries of
Education regarding this issue.
DEMOCRATIC SECURITY
• $1,029 MILLION FOR RECONSTRUCTION
OF COCONUCO: between
2002 and now, the national government has invested resources
in the amount of $1,029 million to finance the rebuilding of
houses and community works in this municipality in Cauca that
has been victimized by terrorists. The investment has been made
under the Social Solidarity Network’s programs “Rebuild
Municipalities” and “Community Efforts”, and
involves the construction of 162 homes, a soccer field, a community
center, a sporting arena in the Puracé town council building,
and a sporting arena in the main town. The program has invested
$15 billion pesos in infrastructure in 107 municipalities of
the country that have suffered from terrorist attacks.
(FIN/JHINA/CIE)
April 29, 2005
