AMBASSADOR VISITS CALI--COLOMBIA'S THIRD CITY, AT

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 008221 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/23/2017 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREF PREL PTER CO SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR VISITS CALI--COLOMBIA'S THIRD CITY, AT A "POINT OF INFLECTION" -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) On November 14, Ambassador Brownfield visited Cali, capital of Valle del Cauca and Colombia's third largest city. Infamous for the violence and narcotrafficking of the 1980s and 90s, Cali continues trying to start a revival and clean up its image. The Ambassador expressed the Embassy's commitment to help Cali reinvent itself through partnerships with the local government, Church, AmCham, bi-national center, and USAID-sponsored social services projects, highlighting his vision of a broader bilateral relationship with deeper economic and social cooperation. According to Mayor Tafur, Cali has arrived at a "point of inflection" and can either follow Bogota's and Medellin's model of success or continue to fall behind. Cali's future lies in the hands of Jorge Ivan Ospina, the newly elected mayor. Tafur told us he respects Ospina, but questions whether the mayor-elect has the capacity to govern "free from outside influence." END SUMMARY. -------------- EVENTS -------------- ¶2. (C) Mayor Ramiro Tafur, appointed in June after Mayor Apolinar Salcedo's corruption-related fall from office, told the Ambassador he started Cali on the road to recovery after 14 years of bad government. Tafur, a career businessman with a clean reputation, said Cali found itself at a "point of inflection" and could either follow Bogota's and Medellin's path of success or continue to lag behind. The election of Jorge Ivan Ospina, who will take office January 1 and has a solid reputation as a physician and hospital administrator, offers Cali a chance for a new start. Still, Tafur told the Ambassador he remained worried about Ospina's political connections and questioned his ability to govern "free of outside influence." Commenting on the U.S. Colombia Trade Promotion Act (CTPA),Tafur told the Ambassador that outgoing Valle Governor Angelino Garzon would make an excellent chairman if the GOC establishes an independent commission to examine labor issues. Tafur said that as a former labor leader, Garzon had credibility across the political spectrum--and excelled as a negotiator and conciliator. ¶3. (C) Archbishop of Cali Juan Sarasti, whose predecessor Isaias Duarte died at the hands of an alliance of narcotraffickers (including guerrillas and paramilitaries) in 2002, told the Ambassador he doubted the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia's (FARC) willingness to negotiate a "humanitarian accord" with the GOC. Sarasti said his experience working with the families of the 11 Valle state legislators murdered by the FARC in June led him to the conclusion that the FARC only sought international recognition--mainly through French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Sarasti said security in Cali had improved dramatically, with fewer displaced persons and a safer environment for labor activists than in the past. The Ambassador asked Sarasti to look for ways to cooperate with the Embassy and to assist his colleagues in Venezuela. ¶4. (U) The Ambassador then visited the Centro Colombo Americano, one of the largest bi-national centers in Colombia and participated in a discussion with about 20 Martin Luther King (MLK) Fellows. MLK Fellows are high-achieving Afro-Colombian university students, who study English and work to develop leadership skills through Embassy-sponsored scholarships. The discussion included topics such as the CTPA, the para-political scandal, and study opportunities in the United States. The Ambassador looked forward to arranging a meeting between the fellows and visiting members of the U.S. Congress when possible. ¶5. (U) Ambassador Brownfield and Avianca Airlines CEO German Efromovich headlined the Cali AmCham's 45th anniversary celebration and led a discussion about Colombia's investment climate in front of an audience of over 200 leaders from the public and private sectors. The Ambassador highlighted the important role that the Chamber plays in the U.S.-Colombia relationship and urged the private sector to embrace corporate social responsibility, mentioning as an example supporting efforts to reintegrate former combatants. He reiterated the USG's commitment to the timely approval of the CTPA and emphasized his vision of broadening the bilateral relationship beyond counternarcotics and security to include deeper economic and social cooperation. ¶6. (SBU) In the poor district of Aguablanca, the Ambassador visited the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center for vulnerable and displaced persons and youth ex-combatants. The Ambassador met with a group of about 40 USAID-sponsored youth ex-combatants (ages 14-20, mostly from the FARC) who shared their stories and received words of encouragement from the Ambassador. These young people often cannot return to their families due to threats of violence. With USG support, they receive room and board, counseling, and vocational training until they can reunite with their families or reach adulthood. The USG provided approximately USD 400,000 to the Don Bosco Center to train young ex-combatants as well as displaced adults, improving their competitiveness in the labor market and potential for reintegrating into society. Colombia faces the challenge of reintegrating about 11,000 youth ex-combatants and over two million internally displaced persons. -------------- MEDIA COVERAGE -------------- ¶7. (U) The Ambassador received extensive media coverage and gave one-on-one interviews to Cali daily El Pais (weekly readership: 196,700, Sunday: 428,200) and to "Noticiero 90 Minutos," the midday broadcast of the regional television station Telepacifico. In addition, press covered the AmCham lunch as well as the visits to the bi-national center and the USAID-supported Don Bosco Training Center. Questions during both the interviews and informal press gaggles focused on the prospects of a humanitarian exchange, the CTPA, and Cali-specific trade issues. ¶8. (U) One RCN TV reporter asked the Ambassador how he would respond if asked "Porque no te callas?", referring to the recent comments directed at Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The Ambassador's response aired on Wednesday's RCN evening broadcast, "My wife has asked me that very question each day for the last 25 years..." Brownfield