Cablegate: Spain's Aid Program in Andean Region

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS MADRID 001063

SIPDIS

PASS TO STUART LIPPE AND KIMBER SHEARER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EAID PREL CO ECIN PE BL VE SP EUN
SUBJECT: SPAIN'S AID PROGRAM IN ANDEAN REGION

REF: STATE 27676

1. Econoff met March 13 with Spanish Agency for International
Development (AECI) officials in the Subdirectorate General
for South America to answer reftel questions. Our contacts
noted that Andean countries have been priorities for Spanish
Aid for several years, and that most Andean countries will
continue to be recipients of Spanish aid under the New
Spanish Assistance Plan for 2005-2008. Priority countries
for Spanish assistance in the region are Bolivia, Ecuador and
Peru for the low level of economic development and Colombia
for the political violence that continues there. Venezuela
will not be a Spanish official development assistance
recipient in the new aid plan.

2. Our AECI contacts were able to provide figures for Spanish
assistance in Andean countries from 2000-2003. They have not
yet compiled assistance numbers for 2004 or developed
individual country aid plans for 2005. The totals which
include both reimbursable credits and non-reimbursable
assistance for each country by year as follows. Note:
negative numbers indicate years where receipts from
previously granted credits outweighed new assistance. Numbers
are given in the following format and int USD at an exchange
rate of EUR 1=USD 1.34.

COUNTRY
2000
2001
2002
2003

Bolivia
32,580,049
45,530,813
43,634,878
61,029,986

Colombia
-2,317,234
35,561,308
57,911,639
17,019,797

Ecuador
16,157,265
25,570,529
89,933,222
29,146,485

Peru
26,927,375
40,714,078
47,382,536
52,591,768

Venezuela
40,913,444
17,070,285
41,160,696
42,303,997

3. Our contacts noted that the U.S. seemed more interested in
Colombia than the rest of the region and were interested in
our description of U.S. aid programs in Colombia. They said
that Spanish aid to Colombia focuses on cementing peace,
human rights issues and helping vulnerable populations. They
noted that our AECI project managers in Andean countries are
in regular contact with USAID country directors.
MANZANARES

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