Colombia, A Positive Country

Prepared by:
Affairs Coordinator
Internal and External Communications
Ministry of Foreign Relations

ON THE FRONT PAGE

• THE ERADICATION OF POVERTY HAS TO BE A REALITY: the eradication of poverty cannot continue to be just a story in Colombia, nor the object of campaign speeches, “it has to be a reality,” said President Alvaro Uribe, and added “It has to have goals that are concrete and measurable by the governments.”

• JUANES, NUMBER ONE ON THE GERMAN LISTS: with "Camisa negra" (Black Shirt) he reached the number one position without being stopped by the language barrier, and he is determined to go as far as he can singing in Spanish. The song is the top success from his album 'Mi sangre' (My Blood), which was number one in Billboard magazine for top Latino hits, and on the Colombian lists it has been the most popular for 22 weeks. He is the non-German artist who has sold the most albums at this time in the European country. On August 20 he begins his 20-concert tour of the Canary Islands, the German cities of Cologne, Munich, Baden Baden, Hamburg, and Berlin. And from there he will return to Colombia for a concert on September 29 in Bogotá.
SOCIAL INVESTMENT

• THE GOAL IS TO VACCINATE 21 MILLION COLOMBIANS: the government announced the purchase of $26 billion pesos in vaccinations for the next campaign, to be held before the end of 2005. The goal is to vaccinate 21 million people between the ages of 14 and 39.” The health authorities asked the energy sector of the country to ensure that service will be provided across the entire national territory to preserve the vaccines.

• ICETEX GIVES SCHOLARSHIPS TO COLOMBIANS: the convention between the Carolina Foundation and the Colombian Institute of Educational Credit and Technical Studies Abroad will promote the participation of Colombian, Spanish and Ibero-American professionals in post-graduate studies in universities in Spain and Colombia. The strategy consists in granting total or partial scholarships to Colombian professionals and researchers who want to specialize in areas such as sciences, communication, culture, law, economics, education and history, energy, infrastructure, the environment, new technology, and political science.

SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND GENERATION OF EMPLOYMENT

• EXPORTS GREW 34.8%: in the first five months of 2005, Colombian exports grew by 34.8% with respect to the same period in 2004. According to the National Department of Statistics, sales of Colombian products outside the country went from US $6,003 million to US $8,0912 million. While traditional exports increased by 42.1%, non-traditional products went up by 28.6%. Of the traditional products, 45.5% are sent to markets in the United States, and 20% to the European Union.

• GOVERNMENT WILL DELIVER $70 BILLION PESOS TO MIPYMES: non-reimbursable funds in an amount close to 70 billion pesos will be delivered this year by the government to finance productive projects in micro, small, and medium-sized companies in Colombia. Through the “Fondo Emprender” (Enterprise Fund), it plans to deliver $50 billion, and through Fomipyme $20 billion will be granted. Of that figure $10 billion correspond to an invitation that was concluded in the first semester, and the other $10 billion will be granted by means of another invitation during the second semester.

• SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH PREDICTED: the level of foreign and private investment has recovered in recent years in the country, and seems to indicate that the growth of the Colombian economy will be sustained and even greater than current growth, affirmed President Alvaro Uribe. The growth is not concentrated in a single sector, but is across the board, and it has begun to be sustained. Foreign investment is recovering, reaching US $3 billion, and private investment is also recovering, now representing 12% of the GDP.

STATE EFFICIENCY AND TRANSPARENCY

• SOWING ROYALTIES WITH TRANSPARENCY: President Alvaro Uribe stated that if a change is approved in the mandatory investments that by law must be made with the resources from royalties for exploration of natural resources, such as in education, health, and water systems, they must follow two principles. The royalties must be invested, and actions must be transparent. The Royalties law orders that coverage for elementary and middle school until ninth grade must reach 90%, in health, coverage must be 107%, in basic water services it must be 70%, and 100% in infant mortality.

DEMOCRATIC SECURITY

• 7,887 TERRORISTS OUT OF COMBAT: during the first seven months of 2005 the Armed Forces and Police captured and placed 5,040 members of illegal armed groups in the hands of the justice system, while at the same time they killed 1,351 in combat. Between January and July 2005 the Public Security Forces captured 1,950 members of the AUC and 3,090 guerrillas from the FARC, ELN, and other minor groups. In the same time period, due to pressure from the Public Security Forces, 1,496 members of the illegal armed groups voluntarily abandoned their weapons and applied for the benefits of the national government’s Demobilization and Re-integration Program

• KIDNAPPING FOR EXTORTION DOWN BY 64%: the Colombian Police revealed that in the first semester of 2005, 312 fewer kidnapping cases were reported than in the same period of the prior year. In the first six months of 2004, 484 cases were reported, while 172 were reported this year. Between January and June, 62 people were successfully rescued, while another 10 were freed due to police pressure. In said operations, 238 kidnappers were captured, and 11 were killed. Sixty-nine weapons and 106 sets of communication equipment were also seized, and 42 vehicles were immobilized. With the work done during this period, the civilian population avoided paying close to $33 billion pesos in ransoms.

• SPRAYING OF ILLICIT CROPS GREW BY 44%: from January to July 2005, illicit crop spraying increased by 44%, going from 71,962 hectares in the same period of 2004, to 103,343 this year. Fumigation was also carried out on 1,657 hectares of heroin poppy, for a total during this current administration of 441,333 hectares sprayed when combined with coca crops. From January to July, 108.3 tons of cocaine, 449 kilos of heroin and morphine, 1,051 gallons of liquid chemical precursors, and 1,799 tons of solid precursors were seized. One thousand one hundred and fifty laboratories for processing illegal drugs and an illegal runway were also destroyed.

• LAW OF JUSTICE AND PEACE AND LAW OF ASSET FORFEITURE ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE: a person who wishes to benefit from the Law of Justice and Peace must declare all goods acquired illicitly, otherwise they will be seized based on the Asset Forfeiture Law. President Alvaro Uribe explained that the Law of Justice and Peace, and the Law of Asset Seizure are concurrent and not mutually exclusive, as is being interpreted mistakenly on the national and international level.

(FIN/JHINA/CIE)
August 19, 2005