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ACTION ARA-10
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 PM-03 NSC-05 SP-02 SS-15 CIAE-00
DODE-00 INR-07 NSAE-00 PA-02 USIA-15 PRS-01 AID-05
PC-05 EB-07 OMB-01 TRSE-00 /079 W
--------------------- 051612
R 231946Z JUL 75
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9846
INFO AMCONSUL CALI
AMCONSUL MEDELLIN
UNCLAS BOGOTA 6886
EO 11652: NA
TAGS: PGOV CO
SUBJ: LOPEZ SPEECH TO CONGRESS, JULY 20
1. ON THE OCCASION OF THE OPENING OF THE REGULAR SESSION OF
CONGRESS ON JULY 20, PRESIDENT LOPEZ DELIVERED A LONG
SPEECH, HALF IN THE SENATE CHAMBER AND HALF IN THE HOUSE,
IN WHICH HE COMMENTED ON COLOMBIA'S FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC
AFFAIRS AND DEFENDED HIS ADMINISTRATION'S POLICIES. THE
SPEECH, DELIVERED, AS USUAL, IN A DEADPAN MONOTONE, WAS
RECEIVED WITHOUT REACTION BY THE CONGRESS AND PROPTED LITTLE
SPONTANEOUS APPLAUSE.
2. LOPEZ MAJOR POINTS DEALING WITH INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ARE
TREATED IN SEPARATE CABLES: THE LOS AND COLOMBIAN TERRITORIAL
WATERS (BOGOTA 6853), THE COLOMBO-VENEZUELAN TERRITORIAL WATERS
DISPUTE (BOGOTA 6851), THE PANAMA-COLOMBIA CANAL AGREEMENT
(BOGOTA 6850), AND US-COLOMBIAN RELATIONS AND HIS STATE
VISIT (BOGOTA 6821).
3. TURNING TO CUBA, LOPEZ SAID IT WAS ONLY REASONABLE
FOR HIM, A LIBERAL, TO CONTINUE THE POLICY OF THE PREVIOUS
CONSERVATIVE PRESIDENT OF OPENING UP TOWARD CASTRO'S
GOVERNMENT IN THE CURRENT ATMOSPHERE OF THAW. EVEN THE
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US, HE SAID, HAS ALLOWED ITS TRANSNATIONAL COMPANIES
TO DO BUISNESS WITH CUBA. UNDER THE SAME PRINCIPLE OF
UNIVERSALIZATION IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS (FREQUENTLY REFERRED
TO AS IDEOLOGICAL PLURALISM), LOPEZ EXPRESSED PLEASURE OVER
THE NORMALIZATION OF RELATING WITH CHILE.
4. TURNING TO DOMESTIC MATTERS, LOPEZ SAID THAT COLOMBIA'S
"EXPERIMENT" IN DEMOCRACY IS WORKING. CITING NOT SO CON-
VINCING INDICATORS, HE CLAIMED THAT THE ECONOMY IS HEALTHIER
THAN IN OTHER COUNTRIES OF SIMILAR SIZE AND CONDITIONS.
REMINDING HIS AUDIENCE OF HIS "CLEAR MANDATE" AT THE POLLS,
HE PAINTED HIMSELF AS A LIBERAL DEMOCRAT OPEN TO COOPERATION
WITH ALL POLITICAL FACTIONS AND FAITHFULLY GUARDING CONSTI-
TUTIONAL RIGHTS FOR FRIENDS AND ADVERSARIES ALIKE. FURTHER-
MORE, HE MAINTAINED THAT HIS GOVERNMENT ENJOYS PUBLIC CON-
FIDENCE IN ITS WORD BECAUSE OF PROMISES KEPT, LIKE THOSE OF
SIGNING A CONCORDAT DRAWN UP UNDER PRESIDENT PASTRANA AND
STANDING BY THE COMMITTMENT TO PLACE A CONSERVATIVE IN THE
CONTROLLER'S CHAIR DESPITE OBJECTIONS FROM HIS OWN PARTY.
5. LOPEZ EMPHASIEZED THAT THE RECENT IMPOSITION OF THE STATE
OF SIEGE WAS NOT A POLITICAL MOVE TO SILENCE CRITICS BUT ONE
TO "PROTECT CIVIL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL GUARANTEES" IN AN
ATMOSPHERE OF RISING CRIME AND DISORDER. FURTHERMORVE,
IT WAS IMPOSED ONLY AFTER A SHOW OF GREAT GOVERNMENT
TOLERANCE IN THE FACE OF PUBLIC DISTRUBANCES, SOME OF
WHCH, HE ADMITTED, MAY HAVE HAD JUSTIFIABLE CAUSES
BASED UPON SOCIAL NEEDS. THE ECONOMIC MEERGENCY PROVISION
WAS INVOKED LAST YEAR, HE SAID, TO ENABLE THE GOVERNMENT
TO MEET PRESSING FINANCIAL NEEDS, AND THE ACTION HAD THE
EFFECT OF PUTTING THE "HOUSE IN ORDER". THE PRESIDENT
SAID HE WAS PLEASED TO NOTE THAT LABOR CONFLICTS HAD BEEN
SOLVED WITHOUT PRESSURES FROM THE GOVERNMENT,
ILLUSTRATING A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY AMONG COLOMBIANS.
TOUCHING ON FUTURE GOVERNMENT ACTION, HE SAID THAT CONGRESS
WILL DISCUSS PROPOSED LEGISLATION CONCERNING REORGANIZATION
OF METROPOLITAN AREAS AND NORMS GOVERNING PLANNING; HE WILL
PROPOSE HARSHER PUNISHMENT FOR CERTAIN SERIOUS CRIMES;
AND HIS GOVERNMENT WILL PURSUE ITS ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM
PROGRAM, FOCUSING ON REDUCING CORRUPTION AND IMPROVING THE
ADMINISTRATION OF PORTS.
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6. LOPEZ EXPRESSED SKEPTICISM ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF LARGE
PETROLEUM RESERVES TYRAT COULD BE BROUGHT ON STREAM IF ONLY
PETROLEUM PRICES WERE RAISED. HE ADMITTED THAT COSTS OF
EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN COLOMBIA WERE HIGH AND
THAT TO ATTRACT EXPLORATION, A DECENT RETURN WAS
NECESSARY. HOWEVER THIS REQUIRED ECONOMIC STUDIES AND
NOT SIMPLY ARBITRARY PRICE INCREASES. THE PRESIDENT
REGRETFULLY ADMITTED THAT THE PETROLEUM REFINERARY
PROJECT IN TUMACO WOULD BE DELAYED AND PERHAPS DISCON-
TINUED BECUASE OF UNEXPECTEDLY SMALL RESERVES IN PUTUAMYO.
THE GREATEST HOPE TO TUMACO AND COLOMBIA, HE SAID,
WOULD BE LARGE PETROLEUM DISCOVERIES IN YARI, AN AREA
TO BE EXPLORED BY ECOPETROL AND PETROBRAS. LOPEZ POINTED
OUT THAT AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT ROSE BY THREE PERCENT DURING THE
LAST YEAR AND WHEAT IMPORTS WOULD DECLINE BY 100 THOUSAND
TONS. HE HINTED AT A NEW AGRARIAN REFORM PROGRAM WHICH
WOULD INCLUDE THE CLOSING OF LEAGL LOOPHOLES BY WHICH
LARGE LANDHOLDERS HAVE AVOIDED EXPROPRIATION. THE PRESIDENT
SAID THAT EXPORT PERFORMANCE WAS BETTER THAN IN THE SIXTIES
AND THAT IN THE FUTURE THE ADMINISTRATION WILL SUPPORT LABOR
INTENSIVE NON-TRADITIONAL EXPORTS THROUGH CREDIT, TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE, AND TRANSPORT POLICIES. IN A TONE OF OPTIMISM,
LOPEZ EXPLAINED THAT THE FIRST MONTHS OF HIS ADMINISTRATION
WERE DEDICATED TO ECONOMIC STABILIZATION, THEN ADDED THAT
THE SUCCESS OF HIS PROGRAM WILL NOW ENABLE HIM TO ANNOUNCE
(PROBABLY IN HIS COMING AUG 7 SPEECH) A DEVELOPMENT PLAN
COVERING A VARIETY OF SECTORS.
VAKY
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