COLOMBIA,
A POSITIVE COUNTRY
Prepared by:
Coordination of Internal and External
Communication Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
CLOSE UP
• BOLIVARIAN VICTORY IN COLOMBIA: with a decorous presentation,
the Colombian delegation came in second place as medalists at
the end of the 25th Bolivarian Games 2005, which took place in
the cities of Armenia, Pereira, Cartagena and Bogotá.
The host country won 173 gold medals, compared to the 179 golden
prizes obtained by Venezuela, in competitions where 66 Bolivarian
records were broken in different sports. Third place went to
Peru, fourth to Ecuador, fifth to Bolivia and Panama came in
sixth place. 2200 athletes participated in the event in 30 disciplines
and over 1500 medals were awarded.
• THEATER FESTIVAL IN MANIZALES: the Spanish playwright,
José Sanchez, author of works such as ¡Ay Carmela!
is the guest of honor of the 27th International Theater Festival
of Manizales, the oldest in Latin America. 35 companies from
12 countries will participate in the festival from September
3 through 11.
• COLOMBIAN LATIN GRAMMY NOMINEES: Juanes was nominated
three times: for Mi sangre, as Best Rock Album of the Year; the
single Nada valgo sin tu amor, as Song of the Year, and Volverte
a ver, for Best Musical Video. Ilona was also chosen the big
surprise nominee in the category of Best New Artist; Carlos Vives,
in the categories of Best Tropical Album with El rock de mi pueblo
and Best Song in the same category, with Como tú. Andrea
Echeverri was nominated in the category of Best Female Pop Album.
In the duo or group category, Bacilos was nominated for Best
Pop Album, with their most recent production Sinvergüenza.
The awards will take place on November 3 at the Shrine Auditorium
in Los Angeles.
SOCIAL EQUALITY
• WOMEN’S PROTOCOL SANCTIONED: The President of
the Republic passed Law 984 / 2005, by means of which the Optional
Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women was ratified, which the Convention
Committee must adopt to enforce women’s rights and the
actual achievement of gender equality. After the review procedure
on behalf of the Constitutional Court, at the time of ratification
of the protocol, the Government “will declare that none
of the provisions of this instrument can be interpreted in the
sense of coercing the Government to legalize any of the conducts
typified as a crime in our legislation”. In particular,
the reserve is referring to abortion.
• COLOMBIA, NURSERY OF CHILD
ASTRONOMERS: Colombian children
were selected among students from 1,920 schools from around the
world to help determine the degree of global warming. Daily exercise
is a part of their work as members of the nursery of research
in sciences of the Colegio Metropolitano in Barranquilla and
they have learned so much that the Asociación de Clubes
de Astronomía del Atlántico [Atlantic Astronomy
Club Association], of which they are members, was chosen by NASA
as the best observer. The 12 year old children were inspired
by Erquinio Taborda, Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Physics.
SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND GENERATION OF EMPLOYMENT
• IN 2005, FOREIGN INVESTMENT
WILL BE US $4.5 BILLION: the Asociación Nacional de Industriales [National Industrialist
Association] estimated that foreign investment would reach that
figure this year, which was not even 2 billion dollars two years
ago. It said that what is most important is the change in the
preceding trend, because it is evident that today, foreign investors
are more confident in the country’s economy. The Law of
investor confidence will lead the industry to $500 billion in
savings, which will be used to carry out new investment projects.
• TRANSMILENIO [BUS MASSIVE TRANSIT
SYSTEM] IN BUCARAMANGA: the Integrated Massive Transit System of Bucaramanga and its
Metropolitan area, known as the Metrolínea, have already
secured funds for the first phase. An agreement was signed for
$158 billion, $104 billion of which will be contributed by the
Nation, and the city of Bucaramanga will provide the other $54
billion. The total value of the project, including Girón,
Piedecuesta, Floridablanca and Bucaramanga amounts to $242 billion.
• COLOMBIAMODA [COLOMBIA FASHION],
TRADE OF US$23.5 MILLION: the 803 buyers from 26 countries invited by Proexport to the
fashion competition this year, reported business opportunities
that amounted to US$20 million. In addition, “spot” deals
were closed and signed for US$3.5 million, which came up during
the events and were immediately concluded.
• CAF APPROVED LOAN FOR COLOMBIA: the Corporación
Andina de Fomento [Andean Development Corporation] approved a
loan of US $100 million for Colombia in order to increase the
country’s competitiveness. The loan will be granted for
a term of 12 years and 6 months, two of which are a grace period.
The funds will be used in the creation of a regional policy of
port expansion, the consolidation of telecommunication coverage,
the stimulation of opening and adjustment of the financial system,
and the improvement of instruments to support the science and
technology platform.
• MELGAR PROMOTED ABROAD: forty business owners from the
tourist sector of the United States will arrive in Colombia on
September 1 in order to get to know and enjoy the attractions
of this town in Tolima to begin the international promotion of
the destination known as “Melgar Tropical Paradise and
its Surroundings”. The Chamber of Commerce of Southern
Florida will promote Melgar at fairs, conventions, seminars,
business conferences and other activities it organizes or participates
in.
STATE EFFICIENCY AND TRANSPARENCY
• COMPUTERS FOR THE CENSUS: the
Joint Venture Colombia Integra was awarded the bid to provide
manual computers in which
the data of the 2005 General Census will be loaded. Fonade said
the bid made by the winners reached $22.14 billion, who committed
to acquire, install, implement, and provide training and support
for the hardware and software. The bid was for 13,400 Mobile
Capture Devices (MCD) onto which the data is loaded and then
sent, via Telecom, to the offices of the National Statistics
Department (DANE).
DEMOCRATIC SECURITY
• GOVERNMENT ACCEPTS CHURCH PRE-DIALOG: President Alvaro
Uribe announced that the Government had accepted for the church
to carry out a “pre-dialog” leading to a cessation
of hostilities on behalf of the armed groups outside the Law.
He restated the National Government’s position toward the
ELN to begin a serious, disposed dialog process. The possibility
of the pre-dialog proposed by the Church could apply not only
to approach the ELN but also the FARC.
• PACIFIC BLOCK HAS GIVEN UP
ITS WEAPONS: 150 men and
women from the Pacific Block -Héroes del Chocó [Choco
Heroes]-, gave up their weapons and began their process of reincorporation
into civil life. This is the 16th collective demobilization in
the framework of the peace process carried out by the Government
with the paramilitary groups.
• WHEELCHAIRS FOR THE VICTIMS
OF VIOLENCE: the United
for Colombia Foundation attained the contribution of the International
Rotary Club and the Wheelchair Foundation. Colombia, the second
country in the world with the highest number of antipersonnel
mine victims after Afghanistan, where the victims have increase
twofold over the last few years, received the international donation
of 1,120 wheelchairs in ceremonies held in Bogotá and
Medellin.
• FARC PRESS OFFICER CAPTURED: thanks to the information
provided by the Colombian Police and the Interpol, the Federal
Police of Brazil captured Francisco Antonio Cadena Collazos,
alias El Cura Camilo López, who is suspected of being
a member of the international commission of the FARC. The director
of the National Police, General Jorge Daniel Castro, revealed
that this man was in charge of recruiting terrorists in Argentina
and Brazil.
(FIN/JHINA/CIE)
26 August 2005
