[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 127 (Tuesday, September 22, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10713-S10716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF HIS EXCELLENCY ANDRES PASTRANA ARANGO, PRESIDENT 
                              OF COLOMBIA

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, on August 7, 1998, Andres Pastrana Arango 
was sworn in as the 60th President of Colombia, 28 years after his 
father, Misael Pastrana, took the same oath of office. A former 
journalist, mayor of Bogota, and Senator, president candidate Andres 
Pastrana swept into office with the largest electoral margin in his 
country's history.
  With the election of President Pastrana I believe that a new 
opportunity has been created for the United

[[Page S10714]]

States and Colombia to work closely together to deal with issues of 
mutual concern to our two countries. I very much hope that both of our 
governments will take advantage of this opening because it is in the 
interests of both countries that we do so.
  In his inaugural speech of August 7, President Pastrana set forth his 
agenda for his term of office. Breaking the stranglehold of major 
narcotrafficking organizations and bringing peace to Colombia are among 
President Pastrana's highest priorities. During the course of his 
address, he laid out his plans to end the 34 year old civil war and to 
counter drug trafficking and the violence and corruption it brings with 
it. In order to tackle the financial, political and social problems of 
his country, he also pledged to undertake a complete turnaround in 
Colombia's Government during his administration.
  I believe that President Pastrana has been very quick in shaping the 
outline of policies and programs that should help to strengthen 
democratic institutions in Colombia and respect for human rights. His 
inaugural address gives me hope that the United States working together 
with the Government of Colombia can make that a reality. I would urge 
my colleagues to take the opportunity to read for themselves President 
Pastrana's Inaugural address. I ask unanimous consent that his address 
be printed in full at the conclusion of my remarks.
  THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection; it is so ordered. (See 
Exhibit 1.)
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, President Pastrana is visiting the United 
States this week, and the Committee on Foreign Relations will have the 
honor of receiving him on September 24. At that time we will have an 
opportunity to discuss at length President Pastrana's vision for his 
country. I look forward to the opportunity to do so.

                               Exhibit 1

 Inaugural Speech as President of the Republic by Mr. Andres Pastrana 
                                 Arango

       This day is not only mine, but of all of us Colombians. The 
     solemn oath that I have taken today before almighty God and 
     before you is a sacrament of our democracy. It is an oath 
     pronounced throughout our history that, in this case, 
     acquires a greater dimension since it requires that we 
     likewise succeed in the fulfillment of our obligations and 
     not repeat the errors of the past. Proud of our heritage, we 
     are now going to seek the best for our future.
       We are not only conferring the presidency upon me today; we 
     are also inaugurating a new era for Colombia on the right 
     path. I make a commitment to myself and to you to govern 
     without privileges nor discriminations, but for all 
     Colombians. Those who hold the highest positions in 
     government shall have the greatest obligations under the law, 
     and those who think that power gives one the right to break 
     the law shall not govern. Put simply, there shall be no room 
     for corruption in my administration and it shall not be 
     tolerated nor forgiven. I want--and I shall accept nothing 
     less--this administration to go down in history as the 
     cleanest of all administrations.
       Within the immense margin of our challenges, let us risk 
     facing the big changes that we need. Let us again trust that 
     our cities and our countryside become safe and peaceful. Let 
     us believe that once again our industry and our agriculture 
     will prosper, that our children will receive a good 
     education, that their health will be protected, and that 
     their parents will be safe from the scourge of unemployment.
       Fulfilling these expectations implies serious and sustained 
     efforts, a common cause and the uncommon courage to gather 
     new ideas and be willing to never quit nor give up.
       For change does not happen in a week, a month, or a year. 
     Perhaps, it will not even be complete at the end of this 
     administration. We are at the dawn of a new era, not yet in 
     its splendor. But change begins today.
       We have vast natural resources but, more importantly, great 
     human talent. If we prepare ourselves conscientiously, we 
     should not fear the economy's globalization. On the contrary, 
     we shall welcome it and we shall compete and prosper within 
     it.
       I see a Colombia proudly acknwoeldged in our hemisphere and 
     in the entire world, for navigating through the prodigies of 
     cyberspace and not in the artificial paradises of cocaine. I 
     see a proud Colombia, with enough authority to challenge 
     other nations to control their own drug demand, because we 
     were able to combat our own country's supply and demand.
       As President, I shall not surrender even a bit of our 
     sovereighnty, but I shall appeal to the entire country to 
     comply with the law and to build the prosperity that shall 
     make Colombia a magnet for investment with its modern 
     economy.
       We shall look for prosperity not only in industry and 
     enterprise, but also in agriculture, which has been abused of 
     for many years without being paid its due. We are going to 
     invest more in the countryside. Let us not forget that the 
     land is the soul of Colombia and that those who cultivate it 
     are the soul of the land.
       Colombians, during my campaign I proposed ten great 
     changes. Each one of them is equally important and they shall 
     all be promoted. We must try again, and trust once again, 
     that we can change and attain a better country. I ask for 
     your help, for, more than the decisions of a President, it is 
     your hands that shall mold the final substance of our 
     efforts.
       To the people of Colombia, I owe the privilege of being the 
     leader that shall close the doors of the 20th century and 
     open those of the 21st century, towards the vast horizon of 
     the Third Millenium. I have been given the responsibility of 
     continuing and improving, wherever possible, the 
     accomplishments of other leaders. But more than six million 
     Colombians, and a broad consensus of the country, have chosen 
     me to find the road to this Promised Land that Colombia 
     should be.


                          A colombia in peace

       A very wise Spanish saying says, ``Without peace, there is 
     no bread''. Therefore, first of all, I want peace, which 
     means peace and bread. And it is the Promised Land that we 
     yearn for, a Colombia in peace.
       But reconciliation requires a government that is able to 
     organize collective leadership for peace. This implies 
     sacrifices, requires renunciation, and demands serious 
     commitments that would be sterile, as long as Cain continues 
     killing Abel.
       The President of the Republic assumes the non-renounceable 
     leadership of building peace. Do not expect me to build a 
     bureaucracy for peace. As of now, I invite all Colombians to 
     continue and to work within the ``Agenda for Peace'' that I 
     am going to lead.
       It must be clear for every one that I shall recover for the 
     State the monopoly of force for peace, social justice, and 
     the happiness of the Colombian people. Every minute that we 
     save on war is an investment in life. International 
     cooperation in our peace processes should not be viewed as 
     the inability to build it ourselves, but as a new way of 
     making peace.
       The call to peace as a necessary condition for the 
     country's project is evident. But peace demands the 
     transformation of the human energy of animosity, which is 
     characteristic of wars, into vital energy for the 
     reconstruction of a new Colombia.
       It is precisely this vital energy that should not permit 
     that violent acts, like those of recent days, occur again; 
     acts that fill me, like their families and all my countrymen, 
     with pain. They do not contribute to the atmosphere of 
     understanding that we, myself personally and my entire 
     administration, are ready to propitiate by putting all of our 
     efforts into it.
       The first question is that of identity. What is Colombia 
     and what do we want it to be? Historically, the nation looked 
     for its identity in a homogeneity that was excluding, which 
     despised diversity or nullified it. A country demanded a 
     religion, a language, and even a dominant ethnic group. From 
     dictatorial positions or from republican pacts, these 
     conditions of identity were being imposed for an indefinite 
     time to conform other systems of power. A subsequent 
     evolution, particularly the current one, demonstrates that 
     those that have been excluded in any way, usually demand, 
     with great violence, the acknowledgment of their existence 
     and their right to participate. The point is that the 
     identity of the new Colombia that faces the challenges of the 
     21st century and is handed over to the new generations must 
     be inclusive of Colombian diversity, not exclusive, as it has 
     been until now for a significant number of Colombians. 
     Keeping the nation united must be the origin and the end of 
     this historic determination in favor of peace.


               a model for development and social justice

       I receive a country with seriously affected economic 
     indicators and with its public finances in ruin. I, 
     therefore, intend to do an inventory of the conditions in 
     which I received them. But we shall also promptly present, in 
     the coming weeks, the great guidelines of the measures to be 
     taken in order to bring Colombia out of the situation in 
     which we found it.
       A fundamental part of this recovery program is budget 
     adjustments. Our country cannot continue to carelessly spend 
     beyond its possibilities. If we did so, the already serious 
     unemployment situation that we inherited would be even more 
     overwhelming. And the imbalances everywhere would make the 
     economy unmanageable and would commit the development of the 
     country for a long time. Therefore we shall rigorously 
     dedicate ourselves, from the very first days of this 
     administration, to putting the fiscal house in order.
       But we shall not only organize public finances. We also 
     have to reactivate an equitable economic growth. The 
     development plan that the administration must submit to 
     Congress within the first six months, as stated by the 
     Constitution, shall be the opportunity to draft the 
     navigational chart that shall permit us to open the doors of 
     the 21st century to a society with better and more equal 
     growth. In this purpose, the search for peace is not only a 
     common yearning but also an intelligent strategy for economic 
     development. Peace is the most urgent task on our country's 
     agenda and the best social contract that we can make towards 
     the future.


                            drug trafficking

       We must take advantage of the closing of the century to do 
     an inventory of the serious

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     damage caused to society by drug trafficking. Ecologically, 
     there is no doubt that it is the main predator of large areas 
     of Colombian territory, which is valued in the world for the 
     diversity of its environmental treasures.
       Not to mention, the increase in corruption, whose effect on 
     institutions has become one of the most fatal aggressors that 
     the Colombian State has confronted in all its history. Or the 
     increase in violence, due to easy money for the attainment of 
     objectives that used to be the fruit of years and years of 
     honest labor. Or the increase in drug use.
       If Colombia survives in spite of so many misfortunes, it is 
     only because of the moral fortitude of a people that has 
     known how to face them. But let us not ask it for more 
     miracles.


           the ``peace fund'' with tri-partite contributions

       In order to reach this national objective, besides the 
     political initiatives that we are implementing, peace shall 
     be the common thread of the next development plan. It shall 
     be funded by tri-partite contributions from different 
     sources. Firstly, the government itself, which, as a 
     consequence of the austerity program to be undertaken, shall 
     free significant resources to be earmarked for strategic 
     investments for peace. Secondly, contributions from the 
     international community that has demonstrated its interest in 
     collaborating financially to acclimatize peace in Colombia. 
     And thirdly, monies that wealthy Colombians shall contribute, 
     through a ``Peace Bond of Compulsory Subscription'', whose 
     authorization we shall request from Congress, and through 
     which the valuable demonstrations of so many good-willed 
     Colombians may become concrete.
       As I said in my campaign, we shall submit a bill before 
     Congress that shall permit the gradual reduction of the 
     Aggregated Value Tax while simultaneously and forcefully 
     combating current tax evasion. Moreover, once the fiscal 
     adjustment program yields results, we shall propose a 
     reduction of income tax rates for those companies generating 
     new employment.


                           our foreign policy

       The transparent and categorical mandate that I have 
     received from the Colombian people must also transform our 
     international position in order to carry out a foreign policy 
     with a broad consensus, that is coherent and systematic, that 
     overcomes the exclusivism of any group, region, or party. Our 
     diplomacy shall be efficient, able to work without 
     disadvantages, respectful of commitments and aware of its 
     non-renounceable dignity and its well-earned rights.
       I am convinced that the irreversible purpose of 
     globalization demands a more equitable international order. 
     We do not want to be simple spectators but, rather, diligent 
     actors in this new world commitment.
       I am aware that our international agenda demands a 
     different way of looking at it. We do not reject 
     responsibility. We assume it. Our foreign policy shall be 
     aimed at strengthening our negotiating power with regards to 
     fundamental issues on the global agenda. We shall reaffirm 
     our commitment to the promotion and defense of human rights 
     and International Humanitarian Law, with acts and effective 
     actions.
       As President of the Republic, I shall fully exercise the 
     constitutional duty of leading foreign relations, aware that 
     the leadership of the Head of State in a regime like ours is 
     irreplaceable.
       Our foreign policy shall be guided by the protection of 
     Colombia's essential rights. We share the great principles 
     contained in the United Nations Charter and in the 
     instruments of the Inter American system. Colombia's 
     international word is sacred to us. We defend the sanctity of 
     treaties and the good faith in relations among States. We 
     have always supported the pacific and negotiated solution to 
     conflicts. National heritage is the product of law, never of 
     force or of arbitrary imposition. We believe in the force of 
     multilateralism, in the collective action organized to 
     confront problems and to prevent and resolve divergences and 
     conflicts.
       Venezuela is the country with which Colombia has made more 
     progress in economic integration. The strong historic and 
     cultural ties that unite us shall permit us to foster 
     understanding in all areas in order to continue making 
     progress in the process of binational integration and in the 
     consolidation of the Andean Community of Nations in order to 
     project it to the entire continent.
       The United States, as hemispheric power and because it is 
     the biggest and most advanced economy in the world, is a 
     fundamental country for Colombia's international relations. 
     We also begin a new era of understanding and trust with them, 
     which will permit the diversification of our common agenda so 
     as to continue on the road of true cooperation, more as 
     brothers than as good neighbors.
       Regarding Europe and the Pacific Basin countries, we shall 
     continue strengthening our economic and cultural relations, 
     as well as the ties among the various integration blocks that 
     exist today. In this respect, we shall assign particular 
     importance to the European Union, Latin American and 
     Caribbean Summit that will take place next year, as a result 
     of the dialogue between the European Union and the Rio Group.
       Colombia embarks today on search of the international 
     community, to re-assume the leadership that belongs to it in 
     the ``New World'' design.


                             Social Justice

       This is evident: peace is not possible without social 
     justice. Colombia is a society torn by social distances. It 
     is urgent, therefore, to improve the distribution of national 
     wealth, to make society cohesive and direct it towards peace, 
     through education, health and employment.
       The world is changing in giant leaps. Society has 
     discovered that its great source of wealth is no longer 
     mineral but human. To invest in it, as well as in our natural 
     resources, is the change that will make us strong. And this, 
     in turn, compels us to reflect upon the meaning of continued 
     fighting over scarce material resources instead of 
     strengthening our democracy and developing our industry and 
     our trade, based on human resources, education, technology, 
     and science.
       Therefore, it is time to break with history and to change 
     our course. Thus, the development model that I propose to you 
     is not dependent upon peace negotiations but, rather, 
     establishes the basis for a transparent, fertile, and lasting 
     peace.


                       The economy and employment

       The macroeconomic effort shall be aimed at the urgent 
     generation of employment. To generate employment--good 
     employment--is essential if we want to have a real future. 
     Employment is not only the new name for peace but also our 
     first expression of solidarity.
       In order to attain the goals of collective improvement, it 
     is necessary to build a strong and solidary economy, which we 
     are lacking today. Correcting the imbalances and channeling 
     the economy towards development and full employment again 
     will initially demand the adoption of severe but essential 
     measures.
       Economy and education must go hand in hand to establish the 
     basis for progress. The coming Third Millennium needs new 
     learning. We are going to change education in Colombia so 
     that it may become an open door, where the question will not 
     be how much money the family has but, rather, how much talent 
     the student has. Awakening young people to knowledge is the 
     only way to face the future successfully.


                    Preferential Option for the Poor

       My administration makes and reaffirms a preferential option 
     for the poor. We do not want a Colombia with excluded 
     persons. The government's task is to foster and consolidate 
     economic growth that will reduce the injustices of poverty 
     and demonstrate, with its results, that it is worthwhile to 
     be just.
       For my administration, the poor are a moral commitment, a 
     political commitment, an economic commitment, a cultural 
     commitment, and not just a statistic index. A plan for 
     overcoming poverty convokes, channels, and opens new 
     dimensions for international cooperation and must prevent 
     poverty from being the dangerous ally of those who, with drug 
     trafficking, try to undermine the foundations of the nation 
     and of the international community.
       Being solidary in Colombia means helping to create jobs, 
     investing in the creation of jobs, buying at a fair price to 
     create and foster the quality of those jobs. When I think of 
     globalization, I think about its most urgent aspect, which 
     is globalization of solidarity.


                           recovering values

       This is why, together with Gustavo Bell, I would like to 
     invite all of you to recover values. This country must 
     organize itself and become strong against corruption. We 
     cannot continue to tolerate the systematic robbery of goods 
     belonging to the community. It is necessary to end 
     corruption, and the people have taken a first step with their 
     vote. The President and each one of his officials must be a 
     model for others. Their words must be truthful and their 
     example must be clear. There is no greater corruption or lie 
     than good advice followed by bad example.
       Let no one be wrong. The government shall persecute the 
     corrupt, shall bring them to light, and shall rescue the 
     institutions from the claws of the corrupt.


                     the need for political reform

       For all these reasons, a thorough political reform must be 
     undertaken. ``We cannot pour new wine into old vessels.'' The 
     recovery of politics for the common good, for social justice, 
     for solidarity, and for development requires the creation of 
     new forms of governing, of controlling, of competing for 
     power, of designing laws, of creating the future.
       I thank God for the privilege of having my mother and 
     family here present. I thank Divine Providence for the gift 
     of Nohra's company and leadership and of Santiago, Laura, and 
     Valentina's challenging future.
       And I thank the Lord for having given me in Misael Pastrana 
     a living example of values, of loyalty to life, of love of 
     country. He was a patriot who, in light of Colombia's destiny 
     and uncertainties, affirm and warn, ``the promised land is at 
     stake''. It is necessary for ``The New Dawn'' brings us 
     optimism, faith, truth, solidarity, and the commitment 
     required to change history because no one will do for us what 
     we must do for ourselves.
       Dear friends: A ``New Dawn'' begins now! Today, it is not 
     only the inauguration of a new President, but also the 
     opening of a new era for the nation. With Gustavo Bell we 
     will make the dream of ``The Great Alliance for Change'' come 
     true for Colombia.
       The glory of a leader consists in attaining peace, striving 
     for the citizens' well-being and happiness. Achieving this 
     shall be the

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     only reward I will aspire to at the end of my mandate. This 
     is no time for hesitation or doubt. This is a moment for 
     decisions and courage. Long and difficult is the road leading 
     to the Colombia we yearn for. Let us begin now! Tomorrow will 
     be another day!

                          ____________________