PROFILE: ANGELINO GARZON, GOVERNOR OF VALLE DEL

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 005297 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR CO SUBJECT: PROFILE: ANGELINO GARZON, GOVERNOR OF VALLE DEL CAUCA REF: BOGOTA 002030 Classified By: CDA Milton K. Drucker Reason: 1.4 (b,d) -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Valle del Cauca Governor Angelino Garzon is one of the most prominent representatives of the moderate left in Colombia and regarded as a possible presidential candidate from the Polo DemocraticoAlternativo party in 2010. Garzon has privately scorned more radical members of the Polo. He said a Polo leader who has had executive responsibility in office making concrete decisions (i.e., like a governor or mayor),rather than a member of Congress, would be Polo's most effective standard bearer in a presidential contest. Garzon demurred when asked recently about his own national ambitions, instead lauding the performance of Bogota's Polo Mayor, LuchoGarzon. End summary. -------------- Background: Constructive Negotiator -------------- ¶2. (C) Garzon's early career was as a trade unionist, most recently as President of Colombia's largest labor federation, the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT). He served as an executive of two left-wing movements, the Union Patriotica (1988-90) and the political arm of the M-19 guerrillas (1991-4). Garzon's roots in collective bargaining and activism later served him in his role as constituyente, or member of the 1991 assembly that followed a peace accord between the GOC and M-19 armed rebels. In that assembly he co-authored Colombia's current constitution. In the late 1990s President Pastrana appointed Garzon Minister of Labor, involving him in the (failed) peace talks with the FARC at Caguan. In recent years Garzon has been active in several high-level commissions seeking humanitarian exchange with the guerillas and negotiated solutions to the conflict. Analysts said his 2003 election as governor (with a record-breaking number of votes) was a blow to the FARC, as proof that a leftist candidate could achieve power through democratic means. -------------- Disciplined, Bipartisan, and Pluralist -------------- ¶3. (C) In person, Garzon is slow to make an impression. He speaks quietly and sedately without the usual animation of a politician. As he warms to his subject, however, he speaks with conviction, not just of immediate issues but also making reference to the principles behind his policies. He emphasized three core values to poloffs in recent meetings: - Hard work and duty. Garzon said too many mayors and governors see their jobs as honorary posts of prestige and status; they "still don't get it," he said, that they are in public service. The governor is well known for working long hours. He openly admires President Uribe's renowned work ethic, and credits Uribe for influencing the public sector towards greater discipline. When asked about his future plans, he replied that his only focus is to meet his goals as Governor, to run for future office on a substantive record of accomplishments. - Bipartisan governance. The Governor is a prominent member of the Polo, but in practice is more pragmatic than partisan. He emphasized his institutional role over his political affiliation, stressing the need for departmental and local authorities to work with national governments of any stripe. He distinguished between the candidate Alvaro Uribe, from whom he kept a proper distance, versus President Uribe with whom he collaborated. He expressed frustration with Polo members who had criticized him for cooperating with Uribe. The business community in Cali that initially distrusted his labor roots has come to appreciate his pragmatic approach. - Dialogue with citizens. Garzon has instituted forums in which representatives of economic and social interest groups talk to each other and with the government. Forums are held before a direct audience of citizens and are relayed to the broader community by public television. The governor emphasized his "pedagogical" role in the development of civic-mindedness and public institutions. Public contact seemed to be a welcome respite from the isolation of his office: referring to the elite circles in which he now travels, he spoke of being a "prisoner in stratum six." -------------- FTA Supporter -------------- ¶4. (C) Garzon disagreed with his party's rejection of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the U.S., saying the Uribe Administration needed to do a better job of explaining the text. In Garzon's view, the FTA would benefit some sectors and harm others. Those who would benefit (like major sugar and ethanol producers in Valle) should help make the case, while the national government should help those who stand to lose. Garzon said the GOC should hold public meetings to listen to the concerns of those negatively affected. He said many times critics needed to believe their concerns had been aired and that their interests were taken into account. -------------- Presidential Ambitions? -------------- ¶5. (C) Garzon was noncommital when asked recently about his own presidential ambitions in 2010, instead praising the work of Bogota's Polo Mayor, LuchoGarzon (no relation). The Valle Governor said Lucho had performed responsibly in office and understood the need to improve citizens' lives through concrete, practical initiatives. He distinguished such efforts from the "irresponsible" actions of "radical" members of Congress, among whom he named leading Polo congressman Gustavo Petro (soon to be Senator). According to Garzon, Petro and others in the Polo were not in a position of making hard management choices and not the party's best candidates for higher office. DRUCKER =======================CABLE ENDS============================ Classified By: CDA Milton K. Drucker Rea...