COLOMBIA, A POSITIVE COUNTRY
Prepared by:
Coordination of Internal and External
Communication Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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• PROMOTION OF COLOMBIA IN GERMANY: On its website, the
Association of Fairs and Exhibitions of Germany acknowledges
Colombia and describes it as the most important center for fairs
and exhibitions of the Andean Community, pointing out the positive
development of the domestic market. The article presents an offprint
that describes and promotes the activities of fairs and exhibitions
in the main Colombian cities. In addition, it provides a brief
summary of the international fairs that were carried out in Colombia
in 2004. This information can be consulted at: http://www.auma.de/content.aspx?sprache=d&cnt=402500.
• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY BELIEVES
IN COLOMBIA: Unreserved support was offered to Colombia and
the Government of President
Alvaro Uribe Velez by the international community in the solution
of the problems caused by drug trafficking and the terrorist
groups it finances. At the inaugural session of the Table of
International Coordination and Cooperation in the city of Cartagena,
attended by members of the Group of Twenty-Four, the President
of the Inter-American Development Bank, Enrique Iglesias, said
that Colombia is on the right path to solving its problems.
SOCIAL EQUALITY
• INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF BENEFICIARIES: Around 40 Colombian
towns will sign up for the Families in Action program this year,
as well as the provinces of Amazonas, Guaviare, Guainía
and Vaupés. The National Government’s purpose is
to reach a total of 400,000 families by the end of 2005 and provide
benefits to one million children with the nutrition and education
subsidies granted by the Executive by means of the initiative
promoted by Plan Colombia. At the present time, nearly 350,000
families and 800,000 children are registered in the Families
in Action program.
• STRUCTURES FOR THE BORDERLAND: Plan Colombia is investing
$11.73 billion to implement approximately 50 projects of electrification,
basic sanitation, road infrastructure, educational modules, community
centers, modular parks, restrooms and sports complexes in the
regions of the borders with Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama and Nicaragua.
At the Ecuadorian border, 17 projects are being carried out for
a total of $3.73 billion, 8 of which have already been completed
and the others are in the process of execution or contracting.
The border with Panama has 7 electrification, road infrastructure
and basic sanitation projects for the towns of Acandí,
Bahía Solano and Ungía, in Chocó, an investment
that adds up to $3.86 billion. Along the border with Venezuela,
25 projects are being carried out, adding up to an investment
of approximately $3.64 billion. On the archipelago of San Andres,
bordering Nicaragua, the San Pedro Claver nursery home is being
renovated for a total of $500 million.
• REAL ESTATE FAIR OF MADRID: Nearly
five thousand properties including houses, apartments, lots,
offices, parking lots, country
estates and unfinished housing projects, among others, can be
acquired by Colombians living in Spain during the First Immigrant
Fair. Starting this Saturday and until next Tuesday, the Colombian
community can visit the Recinto Ferial Casa de Campo, with an
area of 2,727 square meters, located in the park with the same
name in southeast Madrid, for all the information they need on
the properties, prices and credit facilities. The five thousand
properties are located in 189 Colombian towns, particularly in
the provinces of the coffee growing region, Valle del Cauca and
the central region of the country. The properties are estimated
to be worth over $400 billion.
SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND GENERATING EMPLOYMENT
• INCREASE IN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION:
November 2004 was a good month for the production of the industrial
sector as it
increased 5.59%, compared to November 2003, with an increase
of 5.04%. During the first 11 months of 2004, industrial production
showed a positive performance of 4.82%, while during the same
period in 2003, it had grown only 3.39%. Industrial sector sales
in November 2004 showed excellent behavior, as they increased
5.34%, while in November 2003, they had increased a mere 1.06%.
As a result of the increase in production and sales, the jobs
generated by the industry rose 0.81% in comparison with the same
month in 2003, when they decreased 0.25%.
• THE IADB WILL STRENGTHEN ITS
SUPPORT FOR COLOMBIA: The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
confirmed its support
for the National Government by duplicating the outlay of loans
in comparison with those provided in the year 2004. While last
year it transferred US $322 million in resources to the Nation,
during this term, it will disburse US$700 million, US $200 million
of which are destined for Cali to implement the mass transportation
project known as the MIO. The total portfolio of the IADB for
Colombia is US$2.000 million, with projects of social investment,
competitiveness and the fight against poverty.
• TRAINING IN THE USE OF THE LATEST
EQUIPMENT: Between 2003 and 2004, the Servicio Nacional de
Aprendizaje (National
Training Service, Sena for its initials in Spanish) invested
nearly $85 billion in sophisticated industrial equipment in order
to train young people in the different technologies demanded
by modern companies. Thanks to this investment, different Sena
regional campuses have mechatronics laboratories furnished with
equipment and workstations, which allows learners to get a good
grasp of different technologies such as hydraulic electronics,
mechanics and pneumatics. In order for the students to be able
to work with ease at mechatronics, they receive prior training
in mathematics, physics, English, and analog and digital pneumatic
electrotechnia, among others. Between 2003 and 2004, the Sena
equipped its professional training centers with computer network
laboratories and workshops for the development of software, maintenance
workshops, virtual instrumentation trainers and heavy machinery
simulators.
DEMOCRATIC SECURITY
• DISPLACEMENT IS REDUCED: The displacement phenomenon
from 1995 to December 31, 2004 added up to 1,565,765 Colombians
reported. In comparison with 2002, 2003 registered a 48% decrease,
which was 37% in 2004 in comparison with 2003. In particular,
422,977 displaced Colombians were reported during the year 2002,
219.469 in 2003 and in 2004, there were 137,315 exiled by violence
reported to the Sole Registration System. The Government’s
efforts framed in the democratic security policy led the 86,290
displaced people reported during the second half of 2003 to decrease
to 49,976 during the same period of 2004, which means a 42% reduction.
Antioquia, Bolívar, Cesar, Cundinamarca, Putumayo and
Valle are the provinces in which the report of the displaced
population has shown significant decreases.
• HOMICIDE RATE AT LOWEST SINCE
1985: The homicide rate reached by Colombia thanks to the Democratic
Security program
applied by President Alvaro Uribe, is at the lowest since 1985.
In 2002, the homicide rate was 65.79 for every 100 thousand inhabitants,
and in 2004, it dropped to 44.15 for every 100 thousand people,
which indicates a decrease of 33%. In 1985, the rate was 40.82%.
In 2002, there were 28,837 homicides, and last year, the figure
dropped to 20,012, showing a 14.9% decrease over the period analyzed.
In addition, the number of attacks on populations decreased 97%
between the years 2002 and 2004, dropping from 32 to just one
last year. In the case of extortive kidnapping, while 1,853 were
reported in 2002, there were only 1,486 in 2003, dropping to
746 in 2004.
STATE EFFICIENCY AND TRANSPARENCY
• RESOURCES FOR SOCIAL INVESTMENT: the National Government
authorized the $400 billion decapitalization of Emgesa S.A.,
Empresa de Servicios Públicos Domiciliarios (Domestic
Public Utilities Company), in order for the resources to be used
by the Bogotá City Hall in its social investment programs.
In fact, the Superintendence of Companies issued Resolution 32000247
/ February 2, 2005, in which it points out that in accordance
with Law 142 or the Public Utilities Law, and in response to
a request from the company’s legal representative, the
decapitalization was authorized. In addition, it verified how
the payment of pension liabilities would be guaranteed, along
with the proper provision of the public utilities, the capacity
to generate enough wealth to cover debts, investments and risks
was confirmed, in conjunction with its financial standing to
provide the service in the conditions required by the Capital
District and the National Energy Plan.
(FIN/PCO/CIE)
February 4, 2005
