Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BOGOTA5256
2007-07-19 21:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Bogota
Cable title:
PRESIDENT URIBE MEETS WITH CODEL REYES
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHBO #5256 2002102 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 192102Z JUL 07 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7313 INFO RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 9190 RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ JUL 8845 RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 5264 RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA PRIORITY 0470 RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 5863 RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 4025 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS BOGOTA 005256
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINR ETRD PGOV PHUM PREL PTER MARR ELAB CO
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT URIBE MEETS WITH CODEL REYES
UNCLAS BOGOTA 005256
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINR ETRD PGOV PHUM PREL PTER MARR ELAB CO
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT URIBE MEETS WITH CODEL REYES
1. On July 8, at 1730, at CATAM airfield in Bogota.
2. Participants:
United States
Chairman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX)
CDA Milton Drucker
C/ORA David Fitzgerald
Michael Delaney
George Pappas
Notetaker
Colombia
President Uribe
FM Fernando Araujo
DAS Director Andres Penate
--------------
SUMMARY
--------------
3. President Uribe told CODEL Reyes he was frustrated by the
U.S. Congress' decision to delay consideration of the
U.S.-Colombia bilateral Free Trade Agreement (CTPA).
Congressman Reyes noted a significant improvement in
Colombia's security situation, and committed to work to gain
passage of the CTPA. END SUMMARY.
4. President Uribe told CODEL Reyes he was frustrated by the
U.S. Congress' decision to not support the bilateral CTPA at
this time. He said the 29 June announcement from the U.S.
Congress implied Uribe was being dishonest about the
situation in Colombia. He feared that if the agreement was
not approved by the U.S. Congress by December, it would not
be signed during a U.S. presidential election year. Uribe
said the CTPA was a major policy initiative, and its blockage
would widely be seen as a significant political failure. He
said that at least one member of the extreme left, Senator
Gustavo Petro from the Polo Democratico party, claimed credit
for the supposed demise of the agreement in the U.S. Congress.
5. Uribe asked the U.S. Congress to consider how politically
difficult it was to jail senior ex-paramilitary members. He
said his government had taken significant steps to protect
labor leaders, and was working to improve general access to
justice by adding 104 investigators to the national
prosecutor's office.
6. Uribe said his government was looking for more effective
ways to eliminate coca, by increasing manual eradication, and
by shifting the patterns of aerial eradication to make it
less predictable.
7. Congressman Reyes said that there were significant
improvements in the security situation since his 2002 visit.
He committed to work to gain passage of the CTPA. Reyes said
that although Uribe's recent visit with the Congressional
Hispanic Caucus was positive, the U.S. Congress misunderstood
the situation in Colombia, in part due to negative publicity.
Uribe said he would continue working to improve this
perception, would meet with all members of Congress who visit
Colombia, and would send regular updates to U.S. Congress
members about the improving human and labor rights situation.
CODEL Reyes did not review this message.
Drucker
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINR ETRD PGOV PHUM PREL PTER MARR ELAB CO
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT URIBE MEETS WITH CODEL REYES
1. On July 8, at 1730, at CATAM airfield in Bogota.
2. Participants:
United States
Chairman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX)
CDA Milton Drucker
C/ORA David Fitzgerald
Michael Delaney
George Pappas
Notetaker
Colombia
President Uribe
FM Fernando Araujo
DAS Director Andres Penate
--------------
SUMMARY
--------------
3. President Uribe told CODEL Reyes he was frustrated by the
U.S. Congress' decision to delay consideration of the
U.S.-Colombia bilateral Free Trade Agreement (CTPA).
Congressman Reyes noted a significant improvement in
Colombia's security situation, and committed to work to gain
passage of the CTPA. END SUMMARY.
4. President Uribe told CODEL Reyes he was frustrated by the
U.S. Congress' decision to not support the bilateral CTPA at
this time. He said the 29 June announcement from the U.S.
Congress implied Uribe was being dishonest about the
situation in Colombia. He feared that if the agreement was
not approved by the U.S. Congress by December, it would not
be signed during a U.S. presidential election year. Uribe
said the CTPA was a major policy initiative, and its blockage
would widely be seen as a significant political failure. He
said that at least one member of the extreme left, Senator
Gustavo Petro from the Polo Democratico party, claimed credit
for the supposed demise of the agreement in the U.S. Congress.
5. Uribe asked the U.S. Congress to consider how politically
difficult it was to jail senior ex-paramilitary members. He
said his government had taken significant steps to protect
labor leaders, and was working to improve general access to
justice by adding 104 investigators to the national
prosecutor's office.
6. Uribe said his government was looking for more effective
ways to eliminate coca, by increasing manual eradication, and
by shifting the patterns of aerial eradication to make it
less predictable.
7. Congressman Reyes said that there were significant
improvements in the security situation since his 2002 visit.
He committed to work to gain passage of the CTPA. Reyes said
that although Uribe's recent visit with the Congressional
Hispanic Caucus was positive, the U.S. Congress misunderstood
the situation in Colombia, in part due to negative publicity.
Uribe said he would continue working to improve this
perception, would meet with all members of Congress who visit
Colombia, and would send regular updates to U.S. Congress
members about the improving human and labor rights situation.
CODEL Reyes did not review this message.
Drucker