Colombia, A Positive
Country
Prepared by:
Affairs Coordinator
Internal and External Communications
Ministry of Foreign Relations
ON THE FRONT PAGE
• WORKING WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY: President Álvaro
Uribe asked the members of his government to work with a sense
of urgency, because the problems of the country demand that its
public servants work constantly to respond to the doubts and
problems of Colombians in each one of the government’s
areas of concern. In security, in economic reactivation, and
in what we call social reactivation – the seven tools for
equality. By doing that, he aims at giving any future government
a point of reference, developed from discussion among Colombians,
both for the government’s program, and for discussion so
that each government can adopt – by means of democratic
debate – its respective Development Plan.
SOCIAL INVESTMENT
• RECOVERY WORKS ADVANCE IN BOJAYÁ: before the
end of the year, the Department of Chocó will have 17
thousand Families in Action, increasing benefits in education
and nutrition for the population. When this administration began,
that Department had two thousand Families in Action, and with
the efforts that have been made they have increased by 15 thousand.
At the end of this month, the program will be expanded to the
municipalities of Riosucio, Itsmina, Tadó, and Bahía
Solano, which will benefit 770 families in the main towns. In
line with these goals, it is expected that the program will soon
be expanded to Bahía Cupica, where it will benefit 300
families.
• PENSION FUNDS HAVE SAVINGS
IN THE AMOUNT OF $29 TRILLION PESOS: the country’s six private pension funds passed the
barrier of 6 million members for the first time since they were
created in 1994 by order of Law 100 of 1993. Of the 6 million
fund members, 85.3% earns less than two minimum salaries, 9.3%
earns between 2 and 4 minimum salaries, and 5.4% receives more
than 4 minimum salaries. More than half the members, exactly
56.3%, are between 15 and 34 years of age, and half of them are
men, versus women, who represent 44%. Ninety-six point four percent
of the 6 million members are company employees, and 3.6% are
independent workers.
SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND GENERATION OF EMPLOYMENT
• AS OF 2019 THE GDP SHOULD BE
TWO TIMES GREATER THAN NOW: in the document ‘Vision for Colombia Second Centennial:
2019’, the National Planning Department contemplates a
series of actions that should be taken by Colombians for an efficient
socioeconomic and political model to guarantee well being. To
achieve that, the economy should be growing at 4.5% starting
in the year 2008, at 5% starting in 2010, and at 6% after 2013,
for which purpose investment should gradually rise to 25%. It
thus argues for an ambitious reduction in unemployment and significant
growth in the agricultural sector.
• EXTERNAL DEBT WENT DOWN BY
US $37,796 MILLION: Colombian
external debt, both public and private, went down by close to
US $1,500 million last April 2005, over the figure for March
of the same year, when the debt was US $39,260 million. According
to the Bank of the Republic, 63.86% of the total external debt
is in the public sector and 36.13% was contracted by private
businessmen. Of the US $24,139 million of public debt, US $23,927
million –99.1% – is due to be paid at a date more
than one year in the future, and just 0.98% is due to be paid
off at a date less than one year in the future. The private debt
is US $13,658 million, and of that figure, 63.32% – US
$8,649 million – must be paid after one year, and 36.66% –US
$5,008 million – in less than one year.
STATE EFFICIENCY AND TRANSPARENCY
• EDUCATION FOR 92% IN 2006: next year Colombia will have
92% coverage in elementary and middle school education. So far,
during the administration of President Álvaro Uribe, 1,085,000
new spots have been created in schools. The goal is to generate
the spots necessary to obtain the 1,500,000 spots proposed for
the four-year term, for which the national government has promised
the necessary resources. “In 2019 we want all children
to have finished high school, because children who do not finish
high school are at risk of falling into poverty.”
DEMOCRATIC SECURITY
• EIGHT THOUSAND DEMOBILIZED: so
far during the current administration, 7,781 members of the
illegal armed groups have
individually demobilized. As a result of the peace process carried
out by the national government with the AUC, 8,798 of its members
have collectively demobilized. Within the group of people who
have individually demobilized, there are 3,894 who belonged to
the FARC, 2,592 to the AUC, 1,075 to the ELN, and 220 to dissident
groups. Within that same group there are 1,425 minors and 1,076
women.
• RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: the decrease in assassinations
of union workers, teachers, journalists, and political and indigenous
leaders, show the national government’s commitment to respect
Human Rights through Democratic Security. This was reported during
a summary of the security policy during the Council of Public
Ministers in the 42nd Assembly of Confecámaras.
(FIN/JHINA/CIE)
August 12, 2005
