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Background Notes: Colombia, January 1999 Released by the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs U.S. Department of State

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Colombia

PROFILE

Geography

Area: 1.2 million sq. km. (440,000 sq. mi.); about the size of Texas, New Mexico, and Arkansas combined; fourth-largest country in South America.
Cities: Capital---Santa fe de Bogota (pop. about 6 million). Other major cities--Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena.
Terrain: Flat coastal areas, three rugged parallel mountain chains, central highlands, and flat eastern grasslands with extensive coastlines on the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
Climate: Tropical on coast and eastern plains, cooler in highlands.

People

Nationality: Noun and adjective--Colombian(s).
Population: 38 million.
Annual growth rate: 1.8%.
Religion: Roman Catholic 90%.
Language: Spanish.
Education: Years compulsory--9. Attendance--80% of children enter school. Only 5 years of primary school are offered in rural areas. Literacy--93% in urban areas, 67% in rural areas.
Health: Infant mortality rate--25/1,000. Life expectancy--men 70 yrs., women 76 yrs.

Government

Type: Republic.
Independence: July 20, 1810.
Constitution: 1991.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state and head of government). Legislative--bicameral Congress. Judicial--Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, Council of State.
Administrative divisions: 32 departments; Santa fe de Bogota, capital district.
Major political parties: Conservative Party of Colombia, Liberal Party, and a score of small political movements (most of them allied with one or the other major party).
Suffrage: Universal, age 18 and over.

Economy (1997)

GDP: $96 billion.
Annual growth rate: 3.2%.
Per capita GDP: $2,446.
Natural resources: Coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nickel, gold, silver, copper, platinum, emeralds.
Manufacturing (19% of GDP): Types--textiles and garments, chemicals, metal products, cement, cardboard containers, plastic resins and manufactures, beverages.
Agriculture (18% of GDP): Products--coffee, bananas, cut flowers, cotton, sugar cane, livestock, rice, corn, tobacco, potatoes, soybeans, sorghum. Cultivated land--5% of total land area.
Other sectors (by percentage of GDP): Financial services--15%. Community, social, and personal services--14%. Retailing, restaurants, and hotels--11.5%. Transportation, storage, and communications services--9%. Mining and quarrying--4%. Construction and public works--3.6%. Electricity, gas, and water--1%.
Trade: Exports (Government of Colombia figures)--$11.5 billion: petroleum, coffee, coal, ferro-nickel, bananas, flowers, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, textiles and garments, gold, sugar, cardboard containers, printed matter, cement, plastic resins and manufactures, emeralds. Major markets--U.S. (38%), Germany, Netherlands, Japan. Imports--$15.3 billion: machinery/equipment, grains, chemicals, transportation equipment, mineral products, consumer products, metals/metal products, plastic/rubber, paper products, aircraft, oil and gas industry equipment, and supplies. Major suppliers--U.S. (41.5%), Venezuela, Japan, Germany, Panama.
Exchange rate: 1,580 Colombian pesos = U.S.$1 (October 1998).

PEOPLE

Colombia is the third-most populous country in Latin America, after Brazil and Mexico. Movement from rural to urban areas has been heavy. The urban population increased from 57% of the total population in 1951 to about 74% by 1994. The nine eastern departments, constituting about 54% of Colombia's area, have less than 3% of the population and a density of less than one person per square kilometer (two persons per sq. mi.). Thirty cities have 100,000 or more inhabitants. Residents of the high Andes Mountains must cope with sometimes deadly volcanic activity--more than 20,000 died in the 1985 eruption of the Nevada del Ruiz Volcano near the town of Armero in Tolima Department. The Galeras Volcano near Pasto (Narino Department) is active and under observation by the Colombian Government.

The ethnic diversity in Colombia is a result of the intermingling of indigenous Indians, Spanish colonists, and African slaves. Today, only about 1% of the people can be identified as fully Indian on the basis of language and customs. Few foreigners have immigrated to Colombia, unlike several other South American countries.

HISTORY

During the pre-Columbian period, the area now known as Colombia was inhabited by indigenous people who were primitive hunters or nomadic farmers. The Chibchas, who lived in the Bogota region, dominated the various Indian groups.

Spaniards first sailed along the north coast of Colombia as early as 1500, but their first permanent settlement, at Santa Marta, was not established until 1525. In 1549, the area was established as a Spanish colony with the capital at Santa fe de Bogota. In 1717, Bogota became the capital of the Viceroyalty of New Granada, which included what is now Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. The city became one of the principal administrative centers of the Spanish possessions in the New World, along with Lima and Mexico City.

On July 20, 1810, the citizens of Bogota created the first representative council to defy Spanish authority. Total independence was proclaimed in 1813, and in 1819 the Republic of Greater Colombia was formed.

The Republic

After the defeat of the Spanish army, the republic included all the territory of the former viceroyalty. Simon Bolivar was elected its first President and Francisco de Paula Santander, Vice President. Two political parties that grew out of conflicts between the followers of Bolivar and Santander--the Conservatives and the Liberals--have dominated Colombian politics. Bolivar's supporters, who later formed the nucleus of the Conservative Party, advocated a strong centralized government, alliance with the Roman Catholic Church, and a limited franchise. Santander's followers, forerunners of the Liberals, wanted a decentralized government, state rather than church control over education and other civil matters, and a broadened suffrage.

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, each party held the presidency for roughly equal periods of time. Colombia, unlike many Latin American countries, maintained a tradition of civilian government and regular, free elections. The military has seized power three times in Colombia's history: in 1830, when Ecuador and Venezuela withdrew from the republic (Panama did not become independent until 1903); in 1854; and in 1953-57. In the first two instances, civilian rule was restored within 1 year.

Notwithstanding the country's commitment to democratic institutions, Colombia's history has been characterized by periods of widespread, violent conflict. Two civil wars resulted from bitter rivalry between the Conservative and Liberal parties. The War of a Thousand Days (1899-1902) cost an estimated 100,000 lives, and up to 300,000 people perished during "La Violencia" (The Violence) of the late 1940s and 1950s.

A military coup in 1953 brought Gen. Gustavo Rojas Pinilla to power. Initially, Rojas enjoyed considerable popular support, due largely to his success in reducing "La Violencia." When he did not restore democratic rule, however, he was overthrown by the military in 1957 with the backing of both political parties, and a provisional government was installed.

The National Front

In July 1957, former Conservative President Laureano Gomez (1950-53) and former Liberal President Alberto Lleras Camargo (1945-46) issued the "Declaration of Sitges," in which they proposed a "National Front" whereby the Liberal and Conservative parties would govern jointly. Through regular elections, the presidency would alternate between the two parties every 4 years; the parties also would have parity in all other elective and appointive offices.

The National Front ended "La Violencia." National Front administrations instituted far-reaching social and economic reforms in cooperation with the Alliance for Progress, an inter-American program of economic assistance which began in 1961 with major financial backing by the United States. The National Front government made efforts to resolve problems of inflation, unemployment, and inequitable income distribution while cutting government expenses.

Although the parity system established by the Sitges agreement was terminated in 1978, the 1886 Colombian constitution (in effect until 1991) required that the losing political party be given adequate and equitable participation in the government. Although the 1991 constitution does not have that requirement, subsequent administrations have included opposition parties in the government.

Post-National Front Years

Between 1978 and 1982, the government focused on ending the limited, but persistent, Cuban-backed insurgency that sought to undermine Colombia's traditional democratic system. The success of the government's efforts enabled it to lift the state-of-siege decree that had been in effect for most of the previous 30 years.

In 1984, President Belisario Betancur, a Conservative who won 47% of the popular vote, negotiated a cease-fire that included the release of many guerrillas imprisoned during the effort to overpower the insurgents. The cease-fire ended when Democratic Alliance/M-19 (AD/M-19) guerrillas resumed fighting in 1985.

A vicious attack on the Palace of Justice in Bogota by the AD/M-19 on November 6-7, 1985, and its violent suppression by the Army, shocked Colombia and the entire world. Of the 115 people killed, 11 were Supreme Court justices. Although the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the largest guerrilla group, renewed their truce in March 1986, peace with the AD/M-19 and dissident factions of other guerrilla groups seemed remote as Betancur left office.

The next administrations had to contend both with the guerrillas and with the narcotics traffickers, who operated with relative impunity within Colombia. Narco-terrorists assassinated three presidential candidates before Cesar Gaviria Trujillo was elected in 1990. Since the death of Medellin cartel leader Pablo Escobar in a shoot-out in December 1993, indiscriminate acts of violence associated with that organization have abated.

President Ernesto Samper assumed office in August 1994. Samper vowed to continue many of the economic and foreign policy goals of the Gaviria Administration, while also placing greater emphasis on addressing social inequities and eliminating poverty. However, a political crisis relating to contributions from drug traffickers to Samper's 1994 presidential campaign diverted attention from these social programs, thus slowing, and in some cases, halting progress.

GOVERNMENT

On August 7, 1998, Andres Pastrana was sworn in as the President of Colombia. A member of the Conservative Party, Pastrana defeated Liberal Party candidate Horacio Serpa in a run-off election marked by high voter turn-out and little political unrest. In an August visit with President Clinton, then President-elect Pastrana expressed his hopes for bringing about a peaceful resolution of Colombiaâs long-standing civil conflict, and conveyed his commitment to cooperate fully with the United States to combat the traffic in illegal drugs.

While this commitment and early initiatives in the Colombian peace process give reason for optimism, the Pastrana Administration will simultaneously have to deal with combating high unemployment and other economic problems, such as the fiscal deficit and the impact of global financial instability on Colombia. Additionally, the severity of the countrywide guerrilla attacks on August 3-5 by the FARC and ELN--which left at least 135 dead and more than 180 soldiers and police taken prisoner--highlighted the difficulties that President Pastrana will face in the future.

The new constitution, enacted on July 4, 1991, strengthened the administration of justice with the provision for introduction of an accusatorial system which ultimately is to replace entirely the previous Napoleonic Code system. Other significant reforms under the new constitution provide for civil divorce, dual nationality, the election of a vice president, and the election of departmental governors. The constitution expanded citizens' basic rights, including that of "tutela," under which an immediate court action can be requested by an individual if he or she feels that his or her constitutional rights are being violated and if there is no other legal recourse.

The national government has separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The President is elected for a 4-year term and cannot be re-elected. The 1991 constitution re-established the position of vice president, who is elected on the same ticket as the president. By law, the vice president will succeed in the event of the president's resignation, illness, or death.

Colombia's bicameral Congress consists of a 102-member Senate and a 161-member House of Representatives. Senators are elected on the basis of a nationwide ballot, while representatives are elected in multi-member districts co-located within the 32 national departments. The country's capital is a separate capital district and elects its own representatives. Members may be re-elected indefinitely, and, in contrast to the previous system, there are no alternate Congressmen. Congress meets twice a year, and the president has the power to call it into special session when needed.

Principal Government Officials

President--Andres PASTRANA Arango
Vice President--Gustavo BELL Lemus
Minister of Foreign Relations--Guillermo FERNANDEZ de Soto
Ambassador to the U.S.--Luis Alberto MORENO
Interim Representative to the OAS--Marta Ardila
Ambassador to the UN--Alfonso Valdivieso

Colombia maintains an embassy in the United States at 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202-387-8338).

Colombian consulates are located in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami (Coral Gables), New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan, and Washington.

DEFENSE

Colombia's Ministry of Defense, charged with the country's internal and external defense and security, has an army, navy (which includes both marines and a coast guard), air force, and national police under the leadership of a civilian Minister of Defense. Colombia has been plagued by a lengthy civil conflict which continues to take a heavy toll on the Colombian people. The conflict with the guerrilla groups continues to be the top priority for the military.

In 1998, Colombia assigned 3.4% of its GDP to defense. The armed forces number about 250,000 uniformed personnel: 145,000 military and 105,000 police. Many Colombian military personnel have received training in the United States or in U.S. military schools in Panama. The United States has provided equipment to the Colombian military through the military assistance program and foreign military sales.

Narcotics decertification in 1996 forced a temporary halt to U.S. military assistance programs, except for those related to counternarcotics. On August 1, 1997, the U.S. and Colombia signed an End Use Monitoring (EUM) memorandum of understanding which stipulates that U.S. counternarcotics assistance to the Colombian military is conditioned on human rights screening of proposed recipient units.

ECONOMY

Under the leadership of President Cesar Gaviria Trujillo, Colombia undertook a profound economic reform program in 1990-94 (the "apertura," an "opening" to economic liberalization and international trade and investment). The Gaviria Government pursued prudent fiscal, exchange rate, and monetary policies and implemented sweeping changes in the areas of finance, labor, exchange rates, and trade. These measures have been largely responsible for the sustained economic growth enjoyed by Colombia. GDP growth has been more than 4% during 5 of the last 8 years. Starting in 1996, however, growth slowed significantly. While the Samper Administration did not undermine the "apertura," it also did not push it forward. Privatization slowed under the Samper Government.

Allegations that Samper had accepted drug money in his presidential campaign weakened the administration and affected the economy through 1997. Samper made repeated concessions in labor disputes, including inflationary wage increases. This led the private sector in 1997 to abandon the "Social Pact for Productivity, Prices and Wages," a program instituted in 1995 in which the economy's major players (government, private sector, and labor) had agreed to exercise discipline over wages and prices to keep inflation in check. Continued internal security problems stemming from Colombia's civil conflict also affect economic growth.

Andres Pastrana, widely regarded as pro-business, took office on August 7. The new president has expressed his commitment to carrying forward the peace process, reducing the fiscal deficit, and promoting investment, employment, and savings.

The Colombian economy in 1997 produced real official growth of 3.2%, up from the 2.1% recorded in 1996. Economic performance in 1997 owed its strength largely to the 5.1% growth in the transportation and communications sector and the 4.4% growth in the mining and hydrocarbons sector. Exports grew only slightly, from $10.6 billion in 1996 to $11.5 billion in 1997. Unemployment rose to 14.8% by mid-1998, its highest level in 20 years. The trade deficit of $3.8 billion was offset by capital flows in the form of foreign direct investment and private sector borrowing.

Colombia's foreign exchange reserves at the end of 1997 were approximately $9.88 billion. With these strong net international reserves, Colombia successfully remained in the international capital markets in Europe, Japan, and the United States. The rate of inflation in 1997 was 17.7%, down from 21.6% in 1996. Colombia is the only major Latin American country which did not have to reschedule its external debt during the debt crises of the 1980s. The nation continued to pay both principal and interest to its foreign creditors. Today it is one of the very few countries in the region to hold an investment grade international credit rating. Colombia's total foreign debt at the end of 1997 was $31.5 billion -- $16 billion in public sector debt, $15.5 billion in the private sector -- totaling 33% of GDP.

The new Finance Minister Restrepo and his team are implementing fiscal and monetary policies designed to get Colombia's finances in order, and in particular, attack the serious fiscal problem. On September 2, 1998, Colombia's central bank effectively devalued the peso by 9%. The administration plans to reduce the budget deficit substantially via cuts in expenditures and expanding the tax base, reducing tax exemptions, and attacking smuggling and tax evasion.

Mining and Energy

Colombia is well-endowed with minerals and energy resources. It has the largest coal reserves in Latin America and is second to Brazil in hydroelectric potential. Estimates of oil reserves in 1995 were 3.1 billion barrels. It also possesses significant amounts of ferronickel, gold, silver, platinum, and emeralds.

The discovery of 2 billion barrels of high-quality oil at the Cusiana and Cupiagua fields, about 125 miles east of Bogota, has enabled Colombia to become a net oil exporter since 1986. Total crude oil production averages 620,000 b/d; about 184,000 b/d is exported, and production from those fields is projected to reach 1 million barrels per day (b/d) by the year 2000. The Government of Colombia has come under pressure for the stringent requirements of its association contracts for the exploration and production of Colombia's oil. Refining capacity cannot satisfy domestic demand, so some refined products, especially gasoline, must be imported. Plans for the construction of a new refinery are under development.

The oil pipelines are a frequent target of extortion and bombing campaigns by both the ELN and FARC guerrillas. The bombings, which occur on average once every 5 days, have caused substantial environmental damage.

Colombia has 6.6 billion tons of proven coal reserves and its coal production totaled 21.7 million metric tons (mt) in 1995. Production from El Cerrejon -- the world's largest open pit coal mine -- located on Colombia's Guajira Peninsula, accounted for 65% of that amount. Colombia's exports of 18.4 million mt of steam coal in 1994 made it the world's fourth-largest exporter of this commodity. Coal exports were expected to reach 25 million tons in 1996, and private and public investments in Colombia's coal fields and related infrastructure projects are expected to enable the country to export about 35 million mt at the beginning of the next decade.

While Colombia has vast hydroelectric potential, a prolonged drought in 1992 forced severe electricity rationing throughout the country until mid-1993. The consequences of the drought on electricity-generating capacity caused the government to commission the construction or upgrading of 10 thermoelectric power plants. Half will be coal-fired and half will be fired by natural gas. The government has also begun awarding bids for the construction of a natural gas pipeline system that will extend from the country's extensive gas fields to its major population centers. Plans call for this project to make natural gas available to millions of Colombian households by the middle of the next decade.

Trade

Colombia's balance of trade showed a deficit of $3.8 billion in 1997, worse than the $2.2 billion deficit in 1996. Total imports reached $15.3 billion, while exports were $11.5 billion. Colombia's major exports continue to be petroleum, coffee, coal, nickel, gold, and non-traditional exports (e.g., cut flowers, semi-precious stones, sugar, and tropical fruits). Colombia's major trading partner in 1997 continued to be the United States, which took 38% of Colombia's exports and provided 41.5% of its imports. The EU and Japan remain important trading partners, as do Andean Pact partners, especially Venezuela. Diplomatic relations with a number of Pacific nations were established during the Gaviria Administration. Regular diplomatic exchanges with Japan, China, South Korea, and other Asian nations are designed to open these markets to Colombian products.

Foreign Investment

In 1991 and 1992, the government passed laws to stimulate foreign investment in nearly all sectors of the economy. The only activities closed to foreign direct investment are defense and national security, disposal of hazardous wastes, and real estate (the last of these restrictions is intended to hinder money laundering). Colombia established a special entity -- Coinvertir -- to assist foreigners in making investments in the country. Foreign direct investment continued to be strong in 1997, registering flows of $3.8 billion.

Major foreign investment projects underway include the $6 billion development of the Cusiana and Cupiagua oil fields, development of coal fields in the north of the country, and the recently concluded licensing for establishment of cellular telephone service. The United States accounted for 37.8% of the total $11.2 billion stock of non-petroleum foreign direct investment in Colombia at the end of 1997.

On October 21, 1995, under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), President Clinton signed an Executive Order barring U.S. entities from any commercial or financial transactions with four Colombian drug kingpins and with individuals and companies associated with the traffic in narcotics, as designated by the Secretary of the Treasury in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General. The list of designated individuals and companies is amended periodically and is maintained by the Office of Foreign Asset Control at the Department of the Treasury, tel. (202) 622-0077 (ask for Document #1900). The document is also available at the Department of Treasury web site www.ustreas.gov.

Industry and Agriculture

The most industrially diverse member of the five-nation Andean Community, Colombia has four major industrial centers--Bogota, Medellin, Cali, and Barranquilla, each located in a distinct geographical region. Colombia's industries include textiles and clothing, leather products, processed foods and beverages, paper and paper products, chemicals and petrochemicals, cement, construction, iron and steel products, and metalworking.

Agriculture accounted for 18% of Colombia's GDP in 1997. Its diverse climate and topography permit the cultivation of a wide variety of crops. In addition, all regions yield forest products, ranging from tropical hardwoods in the hot country to pine and eucalyptus in the colder areas.

Cacao, sugar cane, coconuts, bananas, plantains, rice, cotton, tobacco, cassava, and most of the nation's beef cattle are produced in the hot regions from sea level to 1,000 meters elevation. The temperate regions -- between 1,000 and 2,000 meters -- are better suited for coffee, certain flowers, corn and other vegetables, and fruits such as citrus, pears, pineapples, and tomatoes. The cooler elevations -- between 2,000 and 3,000 meters -- produce wheat, barley, potatoes, cold-climate vegetables, flowers, dairy cattle, and poultry.

Narcotics Cultivation and Control

Colombia is the world's leading supplier of refined cocaine and a growing supplier of heroin, especially to the United States. Colombia also has the largest area under coca cultivation. Despite the death of Medellin cartel drug lord Pablo Escobar in 1993 and the arrests of major Cali cartel kingpins in 1995 and 1996, the Colombian drug cartels remain among the most sophisticated criminal organizations in the world. They control cocaine processing, international wholesale distribution chains, and markets.

Colombia is engaged in a broad range of narcotics control activities. Through aerial spraying of herbicide and manual eradication, Colombia has attempted to keep coca, opium poppy, and cannabis cultivation from expanding. The government has committed itself to the eradication of all illicit crops, interdiction of drug shipments, and financial controls to prevent money laundering. A new alternative development program is being planned for initiation in 1999.

Corruption and intimidation by traffickers complicate the drug-control efforts of many institutions of government. Colombia passed a revised criminal procedures code in 1993 which permits traffickers to surrender and negotiate lenient sentences in return for cooperating with prosecutors. In December 1996 and February 1997, however, the Colombian Congress passed legislation to toughen sentencing, asset forfeiture, and money laundering penalties. Implementation, however, is still lagging. In November 1997, the Colombian Congress amended the constitution to permit the extradition of Colombian nationals, albeit not retroactively -- which could have the effect of shielding major traffickers from justice in the United States and other countries where they committed their crimes. (The Colombian Government permits extradition of foreigners resident in Colombia). The amendment was under review until October 5, 1998, when the Constitutional Court ruled that a proposed constitutional amendment permitting extradition without retroactivity was valid.

In 1996 and 1997, President Clinton made the decision not to certify Colombia as fully cooperating with the United States or taking adequate steps on its own to meet the objective of the 1988 U.N. convention on drugs. On February 26, 1998, the President determined that the vital national interests of the United States require that U.S. assistance to Colombia be provided to meet the increasing challenges posed to counternarcotics efforts in Colombia. The President granted Colombia a national interests certification, which waives the restrictions of decertification and allows for broader U.S. engagement with Colombia in the fight against illegal narcotics.

Colombia and other drug producing and drug transit countries will be reviewed annually by March 1 for counternarcotics performance.

FOREIGN RELATIONS

Colombia seeks diplomatic and commercial relations with all countries, regardless of their ideologies or political or economic systems. In 1969, it formed what is now the Andean Community along with Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru (Venezuela joined in 1973 and Chile left in 1976). In the 1980s, Colombia broadened its bilateral and multilateral relations, joining the Contadora Group, the Group of Eight (now the Rio Group), and the Non-Aligned Movement -- which it chaired from 1994 until September 1998. In addition, it has signed free trade agreements with Chile, Mexico, and Venezuela.

Colombia has traditionally played an active role in the UN, in the Organization of American States, and in their subsidiary agencies. Former President Gaviria became Secretary General of the OAS in September 1994. Colombia was a participant in the December 1994 and April 1998 Summits of the Americas and followed up on initiatives developed at the summit by hosting two post-summit, ministerial-level meetings on trade and science and technology.

Colombia regularly participates in international fora, including CICAD, the Organization of American States' body on money laundering, chemical controls, and drug abuse prevention. Although the Colombian Government ratified the 1988 UN convention on narcotics in 1994 -- the last of the Andean Governments to do so -- it took important reservations, notably to the anti-money-laundering measures, asset forfeiture and confiscation provisions, maritime interdiction, and extradition clauses. Colombia subsequently withdrew some of their reservations, most notably its reservation on extradition.

U.S.-COLOMBIAN RELATIONS

In 1822, the United States became one of the first countries to recognize the new republic and to establish a resident diplomatic mission. Today, about 25,000 U.S. citizens live in Colombia, most of them dual nationals. From October 1997 to September 1998, more than 158,000 Americans visited Colombia. Currently 250 private American businesses are registered in Colombia.

Despite the strain which decertification and related issues placed on bilateral relations during the Samper Administration, the U.S. and Colombian Governments continued to cooperate and consult. In 1995 and 1996, the U.S. and Colombia signed important agreements on environmental protection and civil aviation. The two countries have signed agreements on asset sharing and chemical control. In 1997, the U.S. and Colombia signed an important maritime ship-boarding agreement to allow for search of suspected drug-running vessels. During the period 1988-1996, the United States provided approximately $765 million in assistance to Colombia. In 1998, U.S. assistance will exceed $100 million. This funding supports Colombia's counternarcotics efforts, such as arresting drug traffickers, seizing drugs and illegal processing facilities, and eradicating coca and opium poppy.

Trade Development

Colombia is the United States' fifth-largest export market in Latin America (behind Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, and Argentina) and the 26th-largest market for U.S. products worldwide. In 1997, two-way merchandise trade between the United States and Colombia totaled $9.7 billion, according to United States Government data. The United States is Colombia's principal trading partner. Colombia benefits from duty-free entry (for a 10-year period, through 2001) for certain of its exports to the United States under the Andean Trade Preferences Act. Colombia improved protection of intellectual property rights through the adoption of three Andean Pact decisions in 1993 and 1994, but the U.S. remains concerned over deficiencies in licensing, patent regulations, and copyright protection.

The petroleum and natural gas, coal mining, chemical, and manufacturing industries attract the greatest U.S. investment interest. U.S. investment accounted for 37.8% ($4.2 billion) of the total $11.2 billion in foreign direct investment at the end of 1997 (excluding petroleum and portfolio investment). Worker rights and conditions in the U.S.-dominated sectors are superior to general working conditions. Examples include shorter-than-average working hours, higher wages, and compliance with health and safety standards above the national average.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials

Ambassador--Curtis W. Kamman
Deputy Chief of Mission--George C. Lannon
Political and Economic Counselor--Joseph N. McBride
Consul General--Thomas H. Lloyd
Commercial Counselor--Dorothy L. Lutter
Administrative Counselor--Robert E. Davis
Defense AttachŽ--Col. Dennis Fowler, USAF
Agricultural AttachŽ--David Rosenbloom
Public Affairs Officer (USIS)--Chris Filostrat
Regional Security Officer--Seymour C. DeWitt
USAID Director--Carl Cira

The U.S. Embassy is located at Calle 22D Bis, No. 47-51, Bogota (tel: (571) 315-0811; fax: (571) 315-2196). The mailing address is APO AA 34038. Internet: http://www.usia.gov/posts/bogota.

The U.S. Consular Agency in Baranquilla is located at Calle 77, No. 68-15 (tel: (575) 353-0970 or 0974; fax: (575) 353-5216).

OTHER CONTACT INFORMATION

U.S. Department of Commerce Trade Information Center International Trade Administration 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20230 Tel: 800-USA-TRADE Internet: http://www.ita.doc.gov

Colombian-American Chamber of Commerce Calle 98, @2264, Oficina 1209 Apartado Aereo 8008 Bogota, Colombia Tel: (571) 621-5042/7925/6838 Fax: (571) 612-6838 Email: 73050.3127@compuserve.com (Chapters in Cali, Cartagena, Medellin)

TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION

The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program provides Travel Warnings and Consular Information Sheets. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include information on immigration practices, currency regulations, health conditions, areas of instability, crime and security, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. posts in the country. Public Announcements are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas which pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Free copies of this information are available by calling the Bureau of Consular Affairs at 202-647-5225 or via the fax-on-demand system: 202-647-3000. Travel Warnings and Consular Information Sheets also are available on the Consular Affairs Internet home page: http://travel.state.gov and the Consular Affairs Bulletin Board (CABB). To access CABB, dial the modem number: 301-946-4400 (it will accommodate up to 33,600 bps), set terminal communications program to N-8-1(no parity, 8 bits, 1 stop bit); and terminal emulation to VT100. The login is travel and the password is info. (Note: Lower case is required). The CABB also carries international security information from the Overseas Security Advisory Council and Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security. Consular Affairs Trips for Travelers publication series, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a safe trip abroad, can be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954; telephone: 202-512-1800; fax 202-512-2250.

Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained from the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225. For after-hours emergencies, Sundays and holidays, call 202-647-4000.

Passport Services information can be obtained by calling the 24-hour, 7-day a week automated system ($.35 per minute) or live operators 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (EST) Monday-Friday ($1.05 per minute). The number is 1-900-225-5674 (TDD: 1-900-225-7778). Major credit card users (for a flat rate of $4.95) may call 1-888-362-8668 (TDD: 1-888-498-3648).

Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at (404) 332-4559 gives the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. A booklet entitled Health Information for International Travel (HHS publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800.

Information on travel conditions, visa requirements, currency and customs regulations, legal holidays, and other items of interest to travelers also may be obtained before your departure from a country's embassy and/or consulates in the U.S. (for this country, see "Principal Government Officials" listing in this publication).

U.S. citizens who are long-term visitors or traveling in dangerous areas are encouraged to register at the U.S. embassy upon arrival in a country (see "Principal U.S. Embassy Officials" listing in this publication). This may help family members contact you in case of an emergency.

Further Electronic Information

Department of State Foreign Affairs Network. Available on the Internet, DOSFAN provides timely, global access to official U.S. foreign policy information. Updated daily, DOSFAN includes Background Notes; Dispatch, the official magazine of U.S. foreign policy; daily press briefings; Country Commercial Guides; directories of key officers of foreign service posts; etc. DOSFAN's World Wide Web site is at http://www.state.gov.

U.S. Foreign Affairs on CD-ROM (USFAC). Published on an annual basis by the U.S. Department of State, USFAC archives information on the Department of State Foreign Affairs Network, and includes an array of official foreign policy information from 1990 to the present. Contact the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. To order, call (202) 512-1800 or fax (202) 512-2250.

National Trade Data Bank (NTDB). Operated by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the NTDB contains a wealth of trade-related information. It is available on the Internet (www.stat-usa.gov) and on CD-ROM. Call the NTDB Help-Line at (202) 482-1986 for more information.

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