Canada
and Colombia – Solving Problems Together
Notes for a talk by Hon. David Kilgour,
M.P. Edmonton Southeast, Secretary of State
(Latin America & Africa)
YMCA Enterprise Centre, 10211 - 105 Street,
Edmonton
February 12, 1999
It’s a pleasure to be here to discuss
Colombia with you. I know that the Edmonton
YMCA has a long history of working with
Colombia – 20 years – and I’m
pleased you are planning to assist victims
of last month’s tragic earthquake.
I’d like to set the record straight
on one thing. I was in Colombia at the time
of the earthquake, but I was nowhere near
the epicentre. The quake devastated the
Armenia area of western Colombia, but I
was in Bogotá. Still, when the chandelier
started shaking, the Colombians in the room
with me were extremely frightened. It was
the first earthquake of that strength in
more than 15 years. I moved away from the
chandelier, but our ambassador, Bill Ross,
stayed put and calmly continued our discussions
of the drug problem.
As you know, Colombia faces a number of
serious domestic problems – political
instability, the decades-old civil conflict,
narco-trafficking, and a deteriorating human
rights situation. Canada’s focus has
primarily been on helping Colombia to address
these problems.
In my role as Secretary of State for Latin
America and Africa, I have visited Colombia
more often than any other country of Latin
America – four times in total. Last
month’s visit was to meet with foreign
ministry officials in support of the Hemispheric
Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue on Drugs
that was recently launched by my colleague,
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy.
This drug initiative results from an idea
put forward by Prime Minister Chrétien at
the Summit of the Americas in Santiago in
April last year. We believe that a dialogue
at the foreign minister level can help provide
political impetus for the countries of the
hemisphere to work cooperatively on the
illegal drug problem. We see it not only
as an enforcement problem, but one with
broader human security concerns affecting
such areas as governance, the small arms
trade, international commerce, education
and health, and social development. The
presence of illicit drugs in our societies
is a corrosive force, ruining young lives,
putting families in peril, and diverting
public and private resources away from productive
uses.
One official in Ecuador told me that, "Drugs
not only kill people, but also institutions."
That is particularly true in Colombia, where
judges and politicians are often "bought"
by the drug cartels.
Colombia is often seen as the number one
problem country in the region when it comes
to drugs, with the widespread perception
unfortunately being that the country is
simply a narcotics factory. In reality,
Colombia suffers from all aspects of the
problem. Its government must not only confront
the criminal cartels that produce and transport
illicit drugs, but it must cope with the
social and economic cost exacted by domestic
consumption. It faces insurgent forces whose
operations are often financed by drug money.
Colombia has developed an expertise in analyzing
and dealing with these facets of the drug
problem. Given this expertise and the government’s
enthusiastic response to the initiative,
I expect Colombia will be a valuable and
active participant in the Dialogue Group.
Canada is especially active in expressing
concerns about the Colombian human rights
situation and is contributing to addressing
this problem. Through our Development Assistance
Program, we provide bilateral and multilateral
funds. Our bilateral assistance helps to
fund local human rights NGOs and democratic
development projects, as well as human rights
training for police, assistance for displaced
people, and other activities. Our embassy
actively works with the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees. These efforts
are welcomed by Colombians and Canadian
NGOs.
Prospects for a solution to the civil conflict
remain uncertain. The Colombian government
began a formal peace process dialogue in
January with the major guerrilla groups.
Canada has expressed a willingness to assist
in peacemaking efforts if all parties agree.
Our commercial relations with Colombia
are growing as a result of an open investment
climate. Colombia is our third largest trading
partner in South America after Brazil and
Venezuela. Two-way trade has increased 50
per cent in the past 5 years. In 1997, bilateral
trade totalled $772.6 million, with $472
million in exports and $300.6 million in
imports. Canada is active in energy, transportation
and telecommunications.
As you know, the recent earthquake devastated
a large area and killed almost 1,000 people,
injured 4,000 and left 250,000 people homeless.
Canada immediately provided $750,000 in
emergency relief, of which $100,000 was
for generators delivered through the Canada
Fund Local Initiatives, and another $100,000
was provided to the Pan-American Health
Organization. A half a million dollars is
being channelled through the International
and Colombian Red Cross to supply generators,
lanterns, tents, clothing, first aid supplies
and blankets, and another $50,000 is being
used to provide tents.
I am very pleased to note that many Canadians
are contributing privately, as occurred
recently with Hurricane Mitch in Central
America. I strongly commend the Edmonton
and other Canadian YMCAs for their plans
to help out in seven communities of the
coffee region in cooperation with local
YMCAs.
Finally, I congratulate you on your other
work to help Colombia and other countries
around the world. In August last year, while
attending the inauguration of President
Pastrana, I had a chance to visit the YMCA
project for street children, and was very
impressed. I note that the Edmonton YMCA
is also piloting a program here at home
based on the family intervention programs
developed by the Bogotá YMCA. This kind
of international cooperation between organizations
such as yours is wonderful, and I applaud
what you are doing.
Thank you.
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