Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Message Text CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 01 BOGOTA 05509 01 OF 02 141828Z ACTION ARA-14 INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 ARAE-00 A-01 NSC-05 SS-15 SSO-00 PA-01 PRS-01 USIE-00 DHA-02 SNM-02 DEAE-00 042 W ------------------141848Z 066194 43 O R 141722Z JUN 77 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2061 WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE INFO AMEMBASSY BRASILIA AMEMBASSY CARACAS AMEMBASSY KINGSTON AMEMBASSY LA PAZ AMEMBASSY LIMA AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 1 OF 2 BOGOTA 5509 E O 11652 GDS TAGS OVIP CO MRS ROSALYNN CARTER SUBJ MRS CARTER'S VISIT TO COLOMBIA JUNE 9-10 1 SUMMARY MRS CARTER'S 23-HOUR VISIT TO COLOMBIA SUCCESSFULLY ACHIEVED ITS SEVERAL OBJECTIVES OF DEMONSTRATING US AFFINITY FOR ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING LATIN AMERICAN DEMOCRACIES ENHANCING GOOD BILATERAL RELATIONS AND AT THE SAME TIME RAISING WITH PRESIDENT LOPEZ A NUMBER OF SUBSTANTATIVE ISSUES OF HIGH PRIORITY TO THE US END SUMMARY 2 THE GOC DURING THE PLANNING STAGE AT FIRST TENDED TO DOWNGRADE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE VISIT THIS TENDENCY WAS GRADUALLY OVERCOME AS REPORTS ARRIVED OF MRS CARTER'S HIGH-LEVEL RECEPTION AT PREVIOUS STOPS ANOTHER PROBLEM WAS THE TIMING OF THE VISIT JUNE 9 IS A RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY CORPUS CHRISTI FALLING AS IT DID ON THURSDAY THE COLOMBIANS AS IS THEIR CUSTOM CONVERTED IT INTO A 4-DAY WEEKEND CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 BOGOTA 05509 01 OF 02 141828Z 3 THE DATE HAS A MORE SINISTER SIGNIFICANCE JUNE 8 AND 9 ARE THE ANNIVERSARIES OF DISTURBANCES IN PAST YEARS DURING WHICH STUDENTS WERE KILLED AND ARE TRADITIONALLY OBSERVED BY LEFT-WING DEMONSTRATIONS THIS CAUSED GOC AUTHORITIES TO PROVIDE EVEN HEAVIER SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS THAN WOULD HAVE BEEN OCCASIONED SOLELY BY MRS CARTER'S Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 VISIT IN THE EVENT THE VISIT WAS SINGULARLY FREE OF DISTURBANCES OR DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST HER AND ONLY ONE SMALL BRIEF AND ORDERLY DEMONSTRATIONN FAR FROM MRS CARTER'S ROUTE COMMEMORATED THE ANNIVERSARY 4 IN HER ARRIVAL REMARKS AND STATEMENTS TO THE PRESS MRS CARTER EMPHASIZED US RECOGNITION AND SUPPORT OF COLOMBIA'S DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS AND EXCELLENT HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD THIS WAS WARMLY APPRECIATED BY OFFICIAL AND PRIVATE COLOMBIANS AND BY THE MEDIA 5 THE HIGHLIGHT OF MRS CARTER'S VISIT WAS HER MEETING WITH PRESIDENT LOPEZ AND FOREIGN MINISTER LIEVANO WHICH RAN ABOUT 30 MINUTES OVER THE SCHEDULED ONE HOUR MRS CARTER OUTLINED PRESIDENT CARTER'S VIEWS ON WORLD POLITICS AND HIS OUTLOOK TOWARDS LATIN AMERICA SHE THEN RAISED A NUMBER OF SPECIFIC ISSUES OF INTEREST TO THE US HUMAN RIGHTS NON-PROLIFERATION THE PANAMA CANAL AMERICAN PRISONERS HELD FOR LONG PRE-TRIAL PERIODS AND KIDNAPPED PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER RICHARD STARR PRESIDENT LOPEZ'S RESPONSES WERE POSITIVE AND HELPFUL MRS CARTER BORE DOWN MOST HEAVILY ON THE USG'S CONCERN OVER DRUG ABUSE IN THE US ITS CORRUPTING INFLUENCE ON THE GOC AND IN PARTICULAR THAT CORRUPTION'S IMPACT ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE GOC'S ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM LOPEZ AGREED WITH THESE CONCERNS BUT COUNTERED THAT THE GOC NEEDED MORE AND BETTER EQUIPMENT WHICH HAD BEEN PROMISED BY THE USG AND WAS STILL PENDING ASKED BY MRS CARTER IF HE HAD ANY MESSAGES HE WISHED HER TO CONVEY TO PRESIDENT CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 BOGOTA 05509 01 OF 02 141828Z CARTER PRESIDENT LOPEZ RAISED THE ISSUDE OF TRADE PREFERENCES AND TARIFFS AND CONCERN OVER PROBLEMS WHICH WOULD RESULT FROM AN ANTICIPATED DROP IN COFFEE PRICES SEPTEL 6 PRESS RADIO AND TV GAVE BLANKET COVERAGE TO MRS CARTER'S BOGOTA VISIT AND STRESSED BOTH ITS GOODWILL ASPECTS AND THE FACT THAT SHE WAS ARRIVING AS THE PRESIDENT'S PERSONAL EMISSARY TO DISCUSS MATTERS OF SUBSTANCE ALL MAJOR PAPERS AND MAGAZINES CARRIED PRE-VISIT STORIES ON HER LIFE PERSONALITY AND ROLE IN THE POLITICAL LIFE OF PRESIDENT CARTER TV AND RADIO NEWSCASTS GAVE AMPLE AND UPBEAT PRE-ARRIVAL NEWSCOVERAGE TO THE SHOLE L A VISIT THE BOGOTA VISIT PLAYED AS THE LEAD STORY JUNE 9 THROUGH 11 WITH THE LOCAL PRESS GIVING FAVORABLE PLAY TO MRS CARTER'S CANDID AND NATURAL STYLE AND WARMTH DEMONSTRATED IN PUBLIC MEETINGS WHILE COLOMBIA'S LEADING NEWSPAPER EL TIEMPO EXPRESSED SOME SKEPTICISM PRECEDING HER ARRIVAL CALLING THE VISIT INTERESTING AND STATING Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 CONFIDENTIAL NNN CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 01 BOGOTA 05509 02 OF 02 141833Z ACTION ARA-14 INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 ARAE-00 A-01 NSC-05 SS-15 SSO-00 PA-01 PRS-01 USIE-00 DHA-02 SNM-02 DEAE-00 042 W ------------------141847Z 066252 43 O R 141722Z JUN 77 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2062 WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE INFO AMEMBASSY BRASILIA AMEMBASSY CARACAS AMEMBASSY KINGSTON AMEMBASSY LA PAZ AMEMBASSY LIMA AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 2 OF 2 BOGOTA 5509 THAT IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SHE WILL DO HER DIFFICULT JOB WELL THE PAPER WARMED TO MRS CARTER'S VISIT UPON HER ARRIVAL AND CALLED HER A WONDERFUL AMBASSADOR WELL CUT OUT FOR DIPLOMACY THE LIBERAL PAPER EL ESPECTADOR GAVE A WARM WELCOME TO MRS CARTER BUT EXPRESSED THE OFT-REPEATED DESIRE THAT THE VISIT WOULD RESULT IN A CHANGE FROM OPTIMISTIC THEORY TO REALITY IN US--L A RELATIONS CONSERVATIVE PAPERS CRITICAL OF THE CARTER ADMINISTRATION SINCE THE ELECTION GAVE LESS SPACE TO COVERAGE OF THE VISIT BUT ECHOED THE POSITIVE TONE OF THE LIBERAL PAPERS IN NEWS STORIES CONSERVATIVE EDITORIAL PAGES GAVE HER A COOL WELCOME QUESTIONING WHETHER THE VISIT WAS COSMETIC OR SUBSTANTATIVE AND USING THE VISIT AS A PEG TO CRITICIZE WARMING US-CUBAN RELATIONS 7 IN SUM MRS CARTER'S BRIEF STAY AMONG THE COLOMBIANS AND HER DIRECT UNPRETENTIOUS AND UNCOMPLICATED STYLE CAPTURED THE HEARTS AND THE IMAGINATIONS OF COLOMBIANS CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 BOGOTA 05509 02 OF 02 141833Z Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 TO JUDGE FROM PRIVATE OFFICIAL AND MAN-IN-THE-STREET COMMENT AS WELL AS MEDIA REACTION IN THIS SHE CAPITALIZED ON A GENERALLY FRIENDLY ATTITUDE TOWARD THE US AT ALL LEVELS A HISTORICALLY STRONG PREFERENCE IN COLOMBIA FOR DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATIONS AND THE HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND FAVORABLE RESPONSE WHICH THE ELECTION OF PRESIDENT CARTER HAS AWAKENED IN COLOMBIA AT THE SAME TIME MRS CARTER BROUGHT TO THE PERSONAL AWARENESS OF PRESIDENT LOPEZ THE USG'S VIEWS ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES OF INTEREST TO THE US SHE WAS ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE IN THE MANNER IN WHICH SHE RAISED WITH LOPEZ AND LIEVANO FIRMLY AND FORECFULLY THE USG'S CONCERN OVER CORRUPTION IN THE GOC WITH REGARD TO COLOMBIAN NARCOTICS ENFORCEMENT ACTION WHILE NOT OFFENDING THE THIN-SKINNED LOPEZ'S SENSIBILITIES WHICH COULD WELL HAVE CAUSED A CURTAILMENT IN GOC COOPERATION IN NARCOTICS INTERDICTION WITH USG AGENCIES DREXLER CONFIDENTIAL NNN Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Message Attributes Automatic Decaptioning X Capture Date 01-Jan-1994 12 00 00 am Channel Indicators n a Current Classification UNCLASSIFIED Concepts REPORTS VISITS Control Number n a Copy SINGLE Sent Date 14-Jun-1977 12 00 00 am Decaption Date 01-Jan-1960 12 00 00 am Decaption Note Disposition Action RELEASED Disposition Approved on Date Disposition Case Number n a Disposition Comment 25 YEAR REVIEW Disposition Date 22 May 2009 Disposition Event Disposition History n a Disposition Reason Disposition Remarks Document Number 1977BOGOTA05509 Document Source CORE Document Unique ID 00 Drafter n a Enclosure n a Executive Order GS Errors N A Expiration Film Number D770212-0443 Format TEL From BOGOTA Handling Restrictions n a Image Path ISecure 1 Legacy Key link1977 newtext t19770661 aaaacaym tel Line Count 189 Litigation Code IDs Litigation Codes Litigation History Locator TEXT ON-LINE ON MICROFILM Message ID 14acc97d-c288-dd11-92da-001cc4696bcc Office ACTION ARA Original Classification CONFIDENTIAL Original Handling Restrictions n a Original Previous Classification n a Original Previous Handling Restrictions n a Page Count 4 Previous Channel Indicators n a Previous Classification CONFIDENTIAL Previous Handling Restrictions n a Reference n a Retention 0 Review Action RELEASED APPROVED Review Content Flags Review Date 04-Nov-2004 12 00 00 am Review Event Review Exemptions n a Review Media Identifier Review Release Date n a Review Release Event n a Review Transfer Date Review Withdrawn Fields n a SAS ID 2167650 Secure OPEN Status NATIVE Subject MRS CARTER 'S VISIT TO COLOMBIA JUNE 9-10 TAGS OVIP CO US CARTER ROSALYNN To STATE WHITE HOUSE Type TE vdkvgwkey odbc SAS SAS dbo SAS_Docs 14acc97d-c288-dd11-92da-001cc4696bcc Review Markings Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Markings Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009