[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 15, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1644]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING COLOMBIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES CAROLINA BARCO 
                                ISAKSON

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 15, 2010

  Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, Colombia and the United States America enjoy 
a friendship rare among nations. That friendship has been strengthened 
by Colombian Ambassador to the United States Carolina Barco Isakson's 
tireless engagement and sound stewardship over her four-year tenure. 
While I am sad to see her leave this post, I commend her work and 
legacy on behalf of U.S.-Colombia relations.
  Ambassador Barco, whom I consider a close friend, has made the case 
for continued strong ties between our two countries. She has told the 
positive, but yet unfinished, narrative of Colombia coming back from 
the brink and building strong democratic institutions. Over the past 
several years, Colombia has adopted several innovative initiatives to 
protect human rights, address the needs of internally displaced people 
and investigate and prosecute crimes against humanity. Colombia has 
seen impressive gains in security. Long an economic dynamo in Latin 
America, the Government of Colombia has battled back the FARC and 
right-wing militias giving citizens their security back. In the process 
they have invested mightily in social programming, taking government 
services to places where they hadn't previously been provided.
  Through my service in the Peace Corps in Medellin, I grew to love 
Colombia. Over the last several years, I have happily watched Colombia 
grow more stable and prosperous. Ambassador Carolina Barco recounted 
every detail of Colombia's remarkable turnaround to Members of Congress 
in vivid detail. And when that didn't work she showed the story by 
taking Members of Congress to Colombia.
  Ambassador Barco is a lifelong public servant whose commitment to 
improving not just her country, but the entire world, is evident in all 
that she does. Prior to heading the Colombian Embassy in Washington 
D.C., she was Colombia's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2002 to 2006. 
She has directed the City Planning Department in Bogota and advised the 
National Planning Department, the Office of the Mayor of Bogota and the 
Ministries of Development, Culture, and Environment. She has consulted 
with the United Nations Development Program and is a member of Lincoln 
Institute of Land Policy's Board of Directors.
  Ambassador Barco will soon return to her roots as an urban planner. 
She intends to stay on in Washington, D.C. to consult with the Inter-
American Development Bank on greening cities.
  I asked Ambassador Barco to name one thing that she achieved while 
Ambassador to the United States that makes her most proud. Without 
hesitation she noted that it was bringing Peace Corps back to Colombia. 
After two decades, Peace Corps will return to Colombia largely due to 
the heavy lifting Ambassador Barco did to bridge our countries and 
outreach to the appropriate government agencies.
  Ambassador Barco never missed an opportunity to show her appreciation 
for Peace Corps. She invited former volunteers to the Colombian 
Embassy, where she watched in amazement as scores of former Peace Corps 
volunteers sang the Colombia National Anthem. She traveled to Cartagena 
two years ago to celebrate the return of hundreds of former Peace Corps 
volunteers to Colombia for a special week of service, always with the 
goal of formalizing a relationship between the Peace Corps and 
Colombia. I am proud to say that the first class of Peace Corps 
volunteers since 1981 is now working in Colombia, changing the lives of 
countless Americans and Colombians for the better.
  Thank you, Ambassador Barco, for successfully bringing our countries 
together and keeping our alliance relevant and robust. I wish you all 
the best as you depart from this important ambassadorship and will look 
forward to collaborating with you as you continue to make a positive 
impact with your work.

                          ____________________