Speech by U.S. Ambassador to Colombia William Wood, Villagarzón, Putumayo, December 5, 2004

Speech by U.S. Ambassador to Colombia William Wood, Villagarzón, Putumayo, December 5, 2004

Ambassador William B. Wood's Remarks at the Villagarzón Agro-Industrial Center

President Alvaro Uribe Vélez; Carlos Palacios, Governor of Putumayo; Richard Solarte, Mayor of Villagarzón; Luis Alfonso Hoyos, Alto Consejero Presidencial para la Acción Social; members of the media; ladies and gentlemen:

Good morning. It is a great pleasure to be with you today here in Villagarzón. This is my second opportunity to visit Putumayo. Two weeks ago, I visited Puerto Leguizamo, which is the headquarters of Colombian Naval Forces South, the home of the Navy's school for riverine combat, and a key headquarters for Plan Patriota. You should be proud of the fine job that the military and police are doing to protect Putumayo and to keep the Putumayo and Caqueta rivers open to legitimate trade. And closed to narco-terrorist traffic in drugs and arms.

Over the past four years the United States has been working closely with the Colombian government, your local officials here, and with all of you, laying a new foundation for Putumayo's economic development. In fact, we have more experience here and in Caqueta than anywhere else in the country. Yes, together we have encountered challenges, but our experience has given us strong reason for hope, based on the energy, hard work, and decency of the Colombian people we have met here.

In 2000, Putumayo had 66,000 hectares in coca cultivation; the single largest concentration of coca in the world and 40% of Colombia's coca production. Those dirty profits, as I am sure you would all agree, did not produce good living. Quite the contrary. That illicit drug money led to corruption, drove out legitimate economic activity, and attracted the worst kind of newcomers. Neighbors lost confidence and trust in each other, in local organizations, and in the State. Crime and violence were rampant; personal and collective welfare suffered, and only the illegal armed groups gained.

Today, four years later, we see the results of our combined hard work and dedication. The United States is proud of its contribution, and proud to have been a part of the Colombian effort to build new, legitimate economic opportunity and, with it, strengthen local government and citizen participation, improve access to justice, and help people displaced by the violence. Since 2001, over $57.4 million has been invested in Putumayo to improve 130 kilometers of roads linking farms to markets, to build and equip 37 schools, to complete seven rural electrification projects, to improve pastures, to promote livestock and poultry production, and to promote crops such as cassava and plantain, as well as rubber, black pepper, and heart of palm. The nearly 30,000 hectares of licit crops in the program benefit some 20,000 Putumayo families. Just in the alternative development program there has been an investment of $47 million. Today there are less than 10,000 hectares of coca, and peaceful, legitimate agricultural production is on the rise.

What we see here today represents a future vision for Putumayo: the development of a solid economic base. The focus will be on forest and tropical commodities that are economically sustainable, suitable for small farmers, attractive for private sector investment, to provide farmers a reasonable return.

Years ago, scientists were skeptical that profit-making agriculture could find a solid base in Putumayo. But, you have proven them wrong, and we are proud of the results achieved so far. To those who said that it couldn't be done, let me simply point to the cans of Putumayo-produced hearts of palm lining the shelves of supermarkets in Bogotá. These goods are of high quality and have strong export potential.

Or to black pepper grown and processed in Putumayo; the first domestically produced pepper on the Colombian market.

Or to wood products that the forestry center will be producing for floors, doors and baseboards.

Or to heliconias and foliage now being grown by Putumayo farmers, which will be sold domestically and for export.

Or to Putumayo-produced vanilla which a French firm may soon be exporting.

Much remains to be done. For continued success and growth, these efforts require the cooperation and commitment of the public sector and increased investment from the private sector. Sustainability also requires strong institutions that respond to the needs of the people, and that guarantee democracy and transparency in the use of public resources. We will continue our efforts in the future and look forward to an equal commitment from the Colombian government and the private sector.

We know that infrastructure is a pressing need. We have worked closely with citizen groups, mayors, and the Governor's office over the last four years to complete 669 small, medium and large infrastructure projects throughout Putumayo. Here, too, there is still more to do, especially in transportation infrastructure.

The road from Mocoa to Puerto Asís, for example, needs to be completed so you can deliver your products to market faster and cheaper. I am pleased to announce that the United States is prepared to collaborate 50-50 with the Colombian government to complete the remaining kilometers of the road, and help insure it is properly maintained.

I would also like to recognize the remarkable achievements we have attained in other areas of Colombia with U.S. assistance. In Cauca, Nariño, Sur de Bolivar, and Catatumbo, for example, we have supported programs that strengthen democracy, provide shelter and assistance to the displaced and vulnerable, and provide sustainable economic opportunities to those affected by coca and poppy production.

Nationwide, we have supported the development of 55,000 hectares of licit crops and the protection of nearly 26,000 hectares of forestry, benefiting 44,000 families. Equally important, we are helping improve the productivity of small and medium enterprises in cities such as Medellín, Cali, and Barranquilla. This provides not only production, but employment for many.

We are negotiating a free-trade agreement to provide new economic opportunities, reduce consumer prices for all products in Colombia, raise profits and employment, and stimulate foreign investment.

Working with the Colombian government and the Colombian people, we have helped over two million internally displaced persons. More than two million cases have been handled through our Casas de Justicia program, easing the burden on the over-taxed judicial system; provided protection to 3,700 mayors, governors, human rights activists, journalists, students, and others under threat; formed 221 citizen oversight committees to promote citizen participation and transparency; and completed 874 infrastructure projects, including schools and clinics throughout the entire country.

In response to the brutal winter the country has suffered this year, we recently provided $250,000 in assistance to the victims of flooding on the Atlantic Coast.

But, the job is not complete. There is more to be done. As President Bush said recently in Cartagena, the United States stands with you. We support President Uribe's strategy, because it is working. We are committed to continuing our work with you to promote the spread of prosperity and progress throughout Putumayo and throughout Colombia.

Thank you.

Villagarzon, Putumayo, Colombia
December 5, 2004

As of December 7, 2004, this document was also available online at http://usembassy.state.gov/posts/co1/wwwsww44.shtml#English