Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05BOGOTA7621
2005-08-11 18:26:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bogota
Cable title:  

CONGRESSMAN MEEKS MEETS WITH PRESIDENT URIBE, VICE

Tags:  EAID PREL CO CODEL 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BOGOTA 007621 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2015
TAGS: EAID PREL CO CODEL
SUBJECT: CONGRESSMAN MEEKS MEETS WITH PRESIDENT URIBE, VICE
PRESIDENT SANTOS AND MINISTER OF INTERIOR AND JUSTICE
PRETELT

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Milton K. Drucker for reasons
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BOGOTA 007621

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2015
TAGS: EAID PREL CO CODEL
SUBJECT: CONGRESSMAN MEEKS MEETS WITH PRESIDENT URIBE, VICE
PRESIDENT SANTOS AND MINISTER OF INTERIOR AND JUSTICE
PRETELT

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Milton K. Drucker for reasons 1.
4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY) met with
President Uribe on August 5 toward the end of his seven day
visit to Colombia which focused on the Afro-Colombian
community and included stops in Bogota, Tumaco, Beunaventura,
Cali, Choco and Cartagena (septel). Meeks told Uribe that
the visit had helped him understand why Plan Colombia
continued to be important and that he planned to take back
this message to his colleagues in the Congress. While noting
past administrations had neglected the Afro-Colombian
community, he acknowledged Uribe's efforts to correct that
but recommended an affirmative action plan for the community
to "catch them up." In addition, he suggested that the
president: (1) allocate resources to provide potable water
and sewage treatment plants for Afro-Colombian communities on
the Pacific coast; (2) appoint an Afro-Colombian to a
cabinet-level position; and (3) establish a national
commission dedicated to advancing opportunities for the
Afro-Colombian community. Meeks said these efforts could
provide hope in the short-term to the affected communities,
as well as increased political support from members of the
Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and others in the Congress,
who would be considering legislation related to Colombia. He
also asked that Uribe meet with the CBC when he passes
through Washington in September on his way to the UNGA.
Uribe agreed to all of the Congressman's suggestions. Meeks
also raised Hugo Chavez and asked Uribe to persuade the
Venezuelan leader to change his rhetoric toward the U.S. He
said Chavez was misunderstood and wanted a better
relationship with the U.S.


2. (C) Earlier in the week, on August 2, Congressman Meeks
met with Vice President Santos. The Vice President stressed
that the Uribe Administration was the first in Colombia to
work to improve the situation of Afro-Colombians through
various projects. He noted that the ongoing national census
asked about ethnicity for the first time, which would enable
the GOC to quantify its Afro-Colombian population. Meeks
also met with Minister Pretelt on August 2. He underscored

the importance of developing a social and economic
development plan and an affirmative action program to improve
the lives of Afro-Colombians. He also suggested that the
Free Trade Agreement be designed to help generate employment
for Afro-Colombians and other disadvantaged populations.
Pretelt assured Meeks that addressing the violence and
poverty suffered by the Afro-Colombian community was a key
priority for the Uribe Administration. End Summary.


--------------
MEETING WITH URIBE
--------------


3. (C) On August 5, Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY) met with
President Uribe for approximately 90 minutes at the airport
in Bogota. Uribe had just landed from his visit to Houston,
Crawford and San Diego. He was accompanied by Colombian
Ambassador to the U.S. Luis Alberto Moreno and MFA director
for North American Affairs Francisco Gonzalez. Congressman
Meeks was accompanied by staffer Ian Campbell, DCM Milton
Drucker, Polcouns (notetaker) and USAID control officer.


4. (C) Uribe opened by thanking Congressman Meeks and the
rest of the U.S. Congress for assisting Colombia in its fight
to overcome terrorism, bring security to the country, and
increase job opportunities. Despite the security challenges,
unemployment had dropped 6.5 percent during his
administration, to 11.4 percent. Uribe said he had developed
seven "tools for equity" to achieve such results: (1)
advancing educational opportunities; (2) establishing social
security programs; (3) promoting social and economic
development; (4) rural development; (5) expanding social
services; (6) constructing housing; and (7) improving the
quality of urban life. His administration was working hard
with very limited resources. Colombia needed to fight for a
better security situation militarily but also with economic
expansion to overcome poverty. He reviewed several programs
across the country which fed children, subsidized health
services, and transferred land deeds to disadvantaged
communities, including members of the Afro-Colombian
community. He also hoped to launch an agreement between
Afro-Colombian communities and entrepreneurs to develop oil
palm cultivation as an alternative to illicit crops.


5. (C) Congressman Meeks reported that his week-long trip in
Colombia, which included stops in Tumaco, Buenaventura, Cali,
and Choco, had been helpful in developing a clearer
understanding of why Plan Colombia continued to be important.
He noted that without security, there was not much any
government could do, and that Uribe's "heart and deeds" were
moving to change Colombia for the benefit of all Colombians.
He planned to take that message back home to Congressional
colleagues. Meeks acknowledged Uribe's efforts toward the
Afro-Colombian community, which he stressed was larger than
Zimbabwe's entire population. He said prior to Uribe's
presidency, the African Colombian community had been
neglected, especially on the Pacific coast, and the GOC had
to make up for lost ground. Uribe interjected that his
efforts were far less than what was needed.


6. (C) Meeks said an affirmative action plan was needed for
the Afro-Colombian community to "catch them up." "We are
living in the 21st century and they are stuck in the 19th."
While security was being restored, which could result in
needed investment, there were other initiatives that could be
launched immediately to give hope to African-Colombian
communities, in particular on the Pacific coast. One was
providing potable water; another was constructing sewage
treatment plants, which would immediately improve health
standards and push down high infant mortality rates. Such
efforts would make an enormous impact and provide hope.
Meeks said similar projects in the deep south of the U.S. a
half century ago had had this kind of impact. He also
proposed that Uribe appoint an Afro-Colombian to a
cabinet-level position, which he said would be an important
symbol to everyone. Meeks stressed that these kinds of
gestures would improve Colombia's image among the
Congressional Black Caucus, who would be voting soon on the
Andean Free Trade Agreement and Plan Colombia.


7. (C) Meeks also raised the idea of a blue ribbon commission
dedicated to advancing opportunities for the Afro-Colombian
community, similar to what President Truman did in 1946 for
civil rights in the U.S. He recommended that the President
serve as co-chair along with the Afro-Colombian cabinet level
official, and the new president of the Inter-American
Development Bank (current Colombian Ambassador to the U.S.
Luis Alberto Moreno). Meeks believed he could secure
financial help from such U.S. luminaries as Danny Glover,
Oprah Winfrey, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Bill Gates to
support the effort. He predicted that a commission would put
an international focus on GOC efforts to eradicate racism,
and at the same time, generate further goodwill among members
of the CBC. Meeks said he could bring in at least half of
the CBC's 40-plus membership. He said he had taken
considerable heat because of his support for CAFTA but
believed it was the right message to send to Latin America.
Moreno noted the earmark for programs for Afro-Colombians
under Plan Colombia, and suggested that this be tapped for
some of the Congressman's ideas, especially regarding potable
water and sewage treatment. He suggested that the IDB could
complement efforts by lending assistance for
micro-enterprises in these areas.


8. (C) Uribe responded that he would implement Meeks's ideas
immediately: he would form a commission and select someone to
run it whom he would elevate to a "high executive level" in
the government. He agreed to allocate additional monies to
local authorities for potable water and sewage treatment
plants on the Pacific coast. He cautioned, however, that he
continued to have problems with corruption with many
municipal governments. Although much government money for
development projects had been allocated to individual
departments since 1991, the GOC had seen few results because
of corruption. Nonetheless, he agreed short-term victories
were important to instill hope in these communities, and he
would not hold back trying to assist them.


9. (C) Uribe also agreed to meet with the Congressional Black
Caucus during his trip to the U.S. in September.

--------------
One More Thing...Chavez
--------------


10. (C) Meeks asked Uribe to encourage Hugo Chavez to change
his rhetoric toward the U.S. Meeks noted that he meets with
Chavez regularly and probably knew him better than most in
Washington. He stressed that Chavez was misunderstood,
wanted a better relationship with the U.S., and President
Uribe could encourage him along these lines. He noted that,
other than Fidel Castro, Chavez talked to him mostly about
Lula and Uribe. If you get together with Chavez and Lula,
said Meeks, the three of you can do many good things for the
region. Uribe responded that he had asked Chavez's help in
seizing terrorist leaders in Venezuela and that help had been
uneven. Moreno noted that Uribe repeatedly encouraged Chavez
to lower his rhetoric and reach out to Washington, but the
tough, anti-American speeches continued.

--------------
CODEL MEETING WITH VICE PRESIDENT SANTOS
--------------


11. (C) On August 2, CODEL Meeks met with Vice President
Santos and representatives from the Presidency,s program for
human rights, the Ministry of Education, the National Police,
the Ministry of Interior and Justice and the Social Security
Network. Santos noted that the Uribe Administration was the
first in Colombia to work to improve the situation for
Afro-Colombians through various projects including a policy
of affirmative action and programs focused on health,
nutrition, school retention, and the improvements of the
electric and aquatic infrastructure in areas where
Afro-Colombians are concentrated. Santos underscored that
one of the biggest achievements is the ongoing census, which
will ask about ethnicity. One of the biggest problems for
the GOC has been its inability to quantify the Afro-Colombian
population.


12. (C) Congressman Meeks said he was pleased to see that the
GOC had made a giant first step in recognizing
Afro-Colombians. A policy of affirmative action was key to
begin opening doors that have been shut to Afro-Colombians.
He said the GOC needed to take the lead in improving the
situation for Afro-Colombians and to ensure Afro-Colombian
areas will benefit from the free trade agreement. He also
said free education beginning at the primary school level
remained key.

-------------- --------------
CODEL MEETING WITH MINISTER OF INTERIOR AND JUSTICE PRETELT
-------------- --------------


13. (U) Also on August 2, CODEL Meeks discussed
Afro-Colombian issues with Minister of Interior and Justice
Sabas Pretelt. Congressman Meeks underscored the importance
of developing a social and economic development plan and an
affirmative action program to improve the lives of
Afro-Colombians, who had long suffered from neglect and
violence. He suggested that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
be designed to help generate employment at all levels for
Afro-Colombians and other disadvantaged populations. He
noted that he would be visiting areas with large
Afro-Colombian populations, such as Choco Department and
Cartagena, and hoped to work with the GOC, civil society, and
philanthropists to create a comprehensive civil rights
program for sustainable development.


14. (U) Pretelt assured Meeks that addressing the violence
and poverty many Afro-Colombians suffered was a key priority
for the Uribe Administration and noted that, as a native of
Cartagena, he was well aware of the difficulties they faced.
He expressed confidence that the FTA would generate
employment for all Colombians, including Afro-Colombians; the
GOC expected the FTA to lower unemployment from 12 percent to
five or six percent. In response to a question from Meeks,
Pretelt and his staff reviewed recent progress of the
affirmative action program: 16,000 new spaces in schools for
Afro-Colombians had been created for 2005, 68 municipalities
had been identified as target areas, and 26 regional
assessments had been done on living standards for
Afro-Colombians. At Meeks, suggestion, Pretelt pledged to
work with the National Administrative Department of
Statistics (DANE) to ensure that the upcoming census would
fully identify the Afro-Colombian population.
WOOD