[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
[[Page S10715]]
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
[[Page S10716]]
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!
____________________