COLUSA

Again ....for M. BERNAL

2006-02-15T13:05:00.000-08:00

It may sound crazy, but I haven´t stopped thinking about you. You have no idea how many butterflies spread around my belly when you talk to me the way you do..

This is for you MARTA BERNAL

2006-02-13T11:58:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say that Im glad I met you ...I hope we can have enough time to spend together.......

For my brother Said Sarquis

2006-01-27T14:34:00.000-08:00

Hey I just wante to say hello to my brother Said..
Un saluo para mi hermano y para ...e maaanuellllll..

PRESIDENT URIBE AND A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE

2005-08-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

The Colombian supreme court has now only sixty days to make vital decisions that will undoubtedly affect Colombian politics for ever. The high court has to decide whether or not allowing president Uribe to be reelected for a second consecutive term is lawful and constitutional. What makes this decision so important for is not its future political implications, but rather what it means in the very short run. In other words, one should only revise,or I should say, evaluate Uribe's job as president to be able to understand how important his reelection is.
Just to name a few facts, President Uribe's popularity remains as high as it hasn't been in a long time. Also, his democratic social security policy has recovered people's confidence, and trust in governmental institutions. More than ever, Colombians are dreaming of a violent-free nation where prosperity can take place, where the rule of law is imposed, and where terrorists-the same ones who have killed, kidnapped and terrorized a whole nation- are not allowed anymore.
It's time for the Supreme Court to show they can interpret our supreme law in a wise, and smart way. It's time for every politician to forget about their own personal interests, it's time to let the people decide what route our country should take.

FOR TATIS

2005-02-09T13:49:00.000-08:00

I wanted to spend a few minutes getting off my topic just to say helloo to my lovable, gorgeous friend whose birthday will be in March 14. Her name is Tatis.
TATIS:
I hope after reading this message you understand how much your friendship means to me.....

Bush's Reelection

2004-11-22T16:15:00.000-08:00

Well election day is over and with it a whole year of campaigns commercials, political advertising, and a lot of speculation about who was going to be the president. Fortunately, this year, the whole election process went well, and now Americans trust the electoral results much more after the 2000 elections. But, definitely, the question is what will come next? or what should come next?
First of all, I think the war on terror should continue because no space should be given to those who kill, kidnap, torture people, or create terror. Americans showed support for the president's commitment to fight terror and ,therefore, the president should do what those who reelected him want him to do.
Also, I think it is very important that Americans, including democrats and those who still oppose the president's ideas, unify and see Bush as their president and as the person who will do his best to protect the country. Obviously, it is also important that the president listens to the claims that everyone makes. Undoubtedly, Bush's second term will be an opportunity to consolidate his mandate and work on the major reforms he believes will be best for the country. This second term the president will have to persuade a more friendly congress , mainly formed by republicans, to pass those reforms considered the most important ones.
In terms of Colombia, Bush's reelection means that we still have a strong leader fighting a common enemy. A leader who have helped the Colombian government by promoting free trade, and supporting Colombian troops and president in the difficult task of fighting terrorism.
Showing his strong support for Colombia, President Bush visited Cartagena, Colombia on Nov 22. Both presidents had a chance to talk about how FTA (free Trade Agreement) is doing, and definitely about new plans to continue the war on terror. I believe Bush's visit demonstrated that Colombia is at least in his mind when it comes to foreign policy. Bush's visit is also important for the Colombian government to show its improvement on first priority issues such as drug trafficking, guerrila war and the economy in general. President Bush promised to work along with the U.S congress to extend the Plan Colombia, which is a monetary-aid package of about US$ 3,300 millions aimed to help the Colombian government's fight against terror, and drug trafficking.
It is time to continue working to build a better world, a more secure world. Terrorists have shown that they are not willing to talk to bring peace to the world. They have shown all they want is to make their voice heard in a violent manner oppressing the people, and killing thousands. We, the people, can not pay the price of giving up our freedom and liberty just because of the terror that is created when a bomb explodes, or when hijacked planes attack civilians. That is why the president is still in office, that is why the president obtained more than 58 million popular votes, that is why we all should get together and reject every single act of terror that cut our freedom and liberty. In order for both countries to accomplish the difficult task of defeating terrorism and bring about a more stable economy, people's trust and confidence will be vital and fundamental. terrorists are not only Amricans' enemy. They are the world's enemy. Therefore, every single country should contribute to defeat it. Therefore, these coming four years are definitely essential for the whole world.

U.S. to join the ICO

2004-11-02T13:26:00.000-08:00

The U.S government announced that it will rejoin the ICO (International Coffee Organization.) The ICO is the main intergovernmental organization that brings together coffee consumers and producers in the world making a practical contribution to the coffee economy.
The announcement was welcomed by the Colombian ambassador in U.S Luis Alberto Moreno. Moreno said many Colombian families depend directly on this product for their sustenance. "This is a positive step for both consumers and producers in the coffee world," said the Colombian ambassador. The U.S. is considered to be the largest consumer of coffee in the world. The annoucement was made by U.S Assistant Secretary of State for Economics and business affairs, E. Anthony Wayne.
I believe this is a great opportunity for Colombian growers to open new doors in the global market. This is also the best example I can think of in relation to Free Trade, open markets and how benefitial the Bush administration has been for Colombia.
As the world becomes more global, new strategies have to be put in practice for economic improvement. In the case of Colombia, opening its doors to foreign competition will be a great oportunity to compete in the market by improving Colombian industries' production and infrastructure. Like I've mentioned in previous posts, protecting these industries from foreign competition will only favor monopolies that will make prices higher for consumers. Moreover, consumers directly benefit from open markets and the competition that is created as result. An excellent example is the expansion of Colombian coffee and its growing industries. Last Monday Sept 13, a new Colombian coffee shop (named Juan Valdez Coffee) was inaugurated in Washington,DC. by the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia. A second Juan Valdez coffee shop is scheduled to open in New York city on Sept. 28 at 140 East 57th ST. The federation also plans to open as many as 300 coffee shops worldwide by 2007.
With the U.S. rejoining the ICO and Colombia expanding its Coffee throughout the World, Coffee industries have no other choice than improve their producing capacity and welcome the phenomenon of globalization.

US, COLOMBIA INITIATE NEW ANTI KIDNAPPING STRATEGY

2004-10-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

The United States and Colombia have developed a program aimed to reduce and eliminate kidnappings for ransom in Colombia. The program, funded by the U.S. Department of State, will train Colombian military units and police units to solve the hostage situation in Colombia. According to previous Human Rights reports, there are about two to four thousand kidnappings in Colombia per year. The kidnappings are usually another way for Colombian guerrilla movements (FARC, ELN), and insurgents to finance their unlawful activities. The kidnappings, obviously, also affect the Colombian economy and domestic issues. Due to this situation foreign firms invest less, tourists stop going to Colombia, and the idea of freedom becomes undermined. Hundreds of families have to suffer the consequences of kidnappings in Colombia having either to abandon the country or pay extremely high extortion fees to save the victims. Usually, what happens is that the kidnappers will require high fees to liberate the victim. If the fee is not cancelled within a specific time period, the victim gets killed. The State Department's Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Cofer Black, said in a news conference that the kidnappings situation have also affected U.S. citizens. The major guerrilla movement , FARC, holds three U.S. citizens hostages since about a year. " It is our mission to recover our people," said the official. Black also stated that this initiative's success will be measured by results and by the number of hostages returned to their families. The anti-kidnapping strategy's budget will be of about US$25 million.

Why reelection???

2004-10-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

One of the topics that has been widely discussed in Colombia is the presidential reelection. I considered important to discuss this topic by comparing it to the case of the U.S., and by explaining the impact of the presidential reelection in democratic societies.
First of all, the Colombian constitution does not allow any president to be reelected for a second consecutive term. This means that if the president wants to run for office, he will have to wait at least a minimum of four years to run for the presidency again. As far as I know, this issue has never been a topic of discussion before. This year, however, it has become such a crucial issue that it has polarized the public opinion drawing a dividing line between those who support reelection and those who do not.
The actual Colombian president, Alvaro Uribe, has done such an amazing job recovering the economy, recovering government's institutions, and decreasing violence in the country that his popularity is very high at the moment persuading the Colombian congress to reform the constitution.
The question is whether allowing reelection will benefit the country or whether it will bad for a democratic system. I strongly believe allowing reelection would benefit any democratic regime. American elections allow the president to consecutively run for office. This election year, Americans will have the opportunity to either show support for the current administration or simply oppose it. When a given government is in power, the possibility of being reelected will encourage the government to work hard and to bring about improvement. In addition, it is a great advantage for the public to have that same government (the one that is bringing improvement for the country) reelected. In case the government does not bring changes or improvement, the people have the chance to change it.
People who oppose reelection say it makes the system unfair because the incumbent would always have a better chance to win. Others, argue that by having reelection (especially in developing countries ) countries become more likely to face anarchy, corruption and tyranny. In my opinion, those are all weak arguments. I believe that when a government does a good job, it should always have the opportunity to be reelected. Obviously, when there is too much corruption or tyranny, the people simply don't reelect it. Also, I believe that it is not always true that the incumbent president has a better chance to win. Obviously, the incumbent would definitely have a better chance to win when he does a good job by showing results and bringing positive changes. Yet, when the president does not do what the people believe is better for the country chances are his popularity will go down.
In conclusion, presidential reelection is a tool the people should defend, and support so they can decide whether to approve or disapprove the government's job. I think this is what democracy is all about.

A LOT IN COMMON!!!

2004-10-11T08:51:00.000-07:00

Analyzing President Bush's political agenda, and Colombia's president agenda, I have come to the conclusion that they have a lot in common. Both presidents are actually leading difficult wars on terror.
On one side, President Bush have spent his "political budget" trying to defeat Iraq's regime, and trying to build a democratic governments there. In addition, President Bush has committed himself to provide a safer America and , thus, a safer world.
On the other side, Colombia's president, Alvaro Uribe Velez, fights Colombia's guerilla movements and insurgent groups. Uribe's democratic security policies focus on the restructure of the state's main institutions, and the strengthening of the Colombian armed forces to provide for a safer country.
Perhaps, another aspect similar between both presidents is that they are both seeking reelection. President Bush just accepted the republican nomination for a second term in office. In the case of Uribe, the situation is a little bit different. The Colombian president persuades the congress to reform the constitution, which does not allow a president to run for a second consecutive term. President Uribe's high level of popularity is due to the hard work and great results that his administration has accomplished.
I considered important to mention that President Uribe visited Miami (sept 27) and held a meeting with the Colombian community. Most importantly, the president invited COLSA's (Colombian Student Association at UF) members to attend the meeting. Even the fact that both presidents were in Miami that same week could be considered as something else in common.

PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

2004-10-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

The first presidential debate left me with a different perception from what it has been said. After the debate, the media declared John Kerry as the winner of the debate. I think it was a wrong perception.
First, I believe it was very clear that both candidates differ in many issues, especially in the way the war in Iraq should be handled. Obviously, both candidates attacked each other explaining their point of views. In my opinion, President Bush did a good job. He was very clear explaining what needs to be done in Iraq, and that he is committed to build a safer Iraq. Yet, I would not say this made him the winner of debate.
I believe that to say someone won the debate would not be clear or precise.
It was also said that ,for the most part, a lot more was expected from the debate. Some would argue that the lack of time and the way the debate was set up did not allow the candidates to go beyond in their answers and to offer solutions instead of being attacking each other. I think this is a good point. It is really important for the public ( especially for the undecided voters) to really have a precise idea about what each candidate proposes. In order for this to be accomplished, I think that it would be nice to have longer debates in which a selected audience can ask questions or make comments to the candidates. This will give next debates a more natural and informal look that will give the public a better perspective about both candidates. The election gets closer and it is important for Americans that they know who the best candidate is and, therefore, who to vote for.

A LITTLE ABOUT COLOMBIA!!!

2004-09-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

Before I begin my topic today, I wanted to answer a few questions raised, in a comment received last week, by my friend Ryan Adam. Ryan asks about free trade, and whether it is really "free." Well, I should say that in the context of the FTA between Colombia and U.S. both governments are working really hard to improve the benefits and of course eliminate barriers and high tariff or taxes usually imposed to investors or foreign products entering either U.S. or Colombia. Yet, it has been really difficult for the Colombian government to create a favorable environment around this agreement. This because a large portion of the population do not agree with it. As I mentioned, opponents think that reducing barriers will, for example, let foreign products to enter Colombia with no barriers, causing harm to Colombian industries that can't compete with large, powerful foreign companies that enjoy great local protection.
Ryan also asks about what products Colombia can produce. After I read Ryan's question, it came to my mind that perhaps because of time limits and ,in some cases, space limits that we face as reporters or writers, I omitted important information that might help people understand and know a little bit more about Colombia which brings me to my next topic.
Colombia is considered to be a gateway to Latin America. It is located on the northern coast of South America. Colombia's Caribbean coast (Barranquilla , Cartagena, Santa Marta) is closer to Miami, than Miami is to New York. Furthermore, Colombia has an estimated population of 40 million people making it the third most populous country in Latin America. In addition, it is the only country that have both a Caribbean and pacific coast. Colombia's main products are coffee, flower, textiles and sugar cane among some others. Also, it has a vast amount of mineral and energy resources. Colombia has about 38 billion barrels of oil potential. In addition, it is one of the main provider of coal to the U.S.
In terms of politics, Colombia is the oldest democracy in Latin America. Its government is composed of three branches the Judicial, the legislative and the executive and its constitution is considered the highest source of law in the country. There are two major political parties: the Liberal party and the Conservative party, both holding majority in the Congress. Colombia is a country that also faces a violent political conflict. Forty years ago, leftist groups emerged with the idea of changing society, and the political environment. These groups did not have major political support and were therefore unsuccessful. Later, they became insurgents forming guerrilla movements to fight the government. These guerrilla movements became strong enough to declare war to the government and create terror in Colombia losing their initial main ideologies and goals. Their economic support comes primarily from drug trafficking and kidnappings.

What about Free Trade?

2004-09-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

In my last visit to Colombia, I found out there were some reasons for which people wouldn't like President Bush to stay in office. One of those reasons is the actual Free Trade Agreement(FTA) taking place between Colombia and The United States.
As you must know, the Bush administration has aggressively worked to open markets globally to expand American opportunities in overseas market. I don't see any problem with that.
A lot has been said about Free Trade between U.S. and Colombia. Most opponents argue that there is no way Colombian products can compete in a free market simply because Colombian industries are not strong enough and well prepared to produce and sell at the same level a foreign industry will. Therefore, opponents say that FAT will hurt the Colombian economy. But, wouldn't this FTA be a great opportunity to make Colombian industries stronger and more competitive at the global market? Will Colombian industries ever have a chance to integrate to new markets in the world?
I believe FTA is more about integration than competition. In other words, when a country's economy is open to the free market, products become more accessible at the global level. The main idea of a free trade agreement is to open and expand reaching capacities globally. I think it might be good for the Colombian economy to be able to reach new markets, and export its products without having to face high barriers, just like NAFTA did in the case of Mexico and Canada.
With the trend of globalization, integration among powerful economies and small economies becomes necessary. I think that by building more barriers or tariffs only high prices, less exports and high deficits will result.
In addition, thinking from a consumer's point of view, I believe this trade will bring new alternatives to choose from, and it will also lessen the impact of monopolies in society, bringing fair prices and better products.
It might be a wonderful experience to be in Bogota drinking a delicious orange juice made with Florida oranges, as well as it will be a gift of life to have the opportunity to drink a coup of Colombian coffee in Washington, DC.

BUSH IN TOUCH WITH COLOMBIA!!!

2004-09-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

My topic today will deal with an issue that affect, no doubt, Colombia and the United States: Drug trafficking.
It is not a secret that terrorists and guerrilla movements in Colombia finance their activities through this mechanism. Therefore, it should not be a secret either that the elimination of drug trafficking becomes essential to successfully fight terrorism. I strongly believe that leaders committed to this cause are essential, and president George Bush is definitely one of them. He has shown he cares about Colombia. He knows there is a common enemy that needs to be defeated soon and that feeds his activities mostly from drug trafficking: Terrorism. He knows it is not only about Iraq, and that it is also about Colombia, where terrorism has challenged Colombian freedom and peace for several years. For example, the Bush's administration, through the USAID program announced the 2005 fiscal budget, in which US$ 463 million will be to continue supporting the Colombian government in its fight against terrorism. I addition, the Plan Colombia, a strategy created to meet the most pressing challenges confronting the country, has also shown to be very successful. Through this program (USAID), the U.S and Colombia have been able to reduce coca cultivation in Colombia by 43% between 2002 and 2003. As a result, the national homicide rate fell in 2003 by 27% as well as kidnappings. In a recent speech, John Walters, Director of The Office of National Drug Control Policy, said great improvement has been achieved and that there is still a lot more to do. "We are beginning to see signs that would be consistent with the magnitude of disruption in both cultivation and shipping," Walters said.
I think it is clear that President Bush is aware of the problem that has been affecting Colombians for years. Most importantly, he has taken action to show results. It is also clear that keeping Bush in white house will be beneficial for those who want to fight terrorists such as Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe.

Bush a Better Option!

2004-09-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to COLUSA! First, you might want to know who I am , and what you will find in this blog.
My name is German Visbal and I'm a Telecommunications major at the University Of Florida. I was born in Colombia and I came to the United States four years ago. During the Fall semester, I will be taking an Online News course where I'll be learning how make good blogs and also how to inform an online audience.
I've chosen a topic that really interests Colombians living in the US, US citizens living in Colombia, and even US citizens who have Colombian relatives. As the presidential election draws closer, the Colombian population in US (growing at a fast rate,according to the 2000 census) wonder how important it will be for them that Bush stays in office. Precisely , the main purpose of this blog is to examine the 2004 presidential race and explain why George Bush will be the best candidate to choose.
Here, you will find an overview of current events related to Colombia and the U.S and some information that best explains why I think George Bush should be reelected. In addition, I will provide access to related links such as Colombian news organizations, U.S embassy in Colombia, U.S news organizations among others. Also, i will provide information summarizing President Bush's accomplishments on serious issues such as terrorism, drug trafficking, national / international security, and free trade in relation to Colombia and U.S.
Your help is crucial and your opinion necessary for the objectives of this blog. Every week, I will update this blog and add information that I consider important for you know that might help you decide whom to stand for in this coming presidential election. This is just the begining, so remenber I will be here finding good reasons that support the idea of keeping George Bush in the White House. Stay Tuned!!!