COLOMBIA TO BUILD HIGHWAY ON GUAJIRA BORDER WITH VENEZUELA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP08C01297R000700030044-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 25, 2012
• Sequence Number: 44
• Publication Date: January 25, 1985
• Content Type: MISC

Declassified and Approved ForRelease2012/09/25 : CIA-RDPO8001297R000700030044-6
INTER-AMERICAN AFFAIRS
COLOMBIA TO: -BUILD HIGHWAY- ON 'GUAJIRA BORDER WITH VENEZUELA -
Bogota ELESPECTADORJin Spanish 13 Dec 84p 12-A ?
[Article by Hernan Unas]
[Text] Military engineers- will build a highway linking the so-called
three Guajiras (upper, middle and lower), the president of that
department's assembly, Eduardo Abuchaibe Lopez, told this newspaper.
The lawmaker, an architect and son of Senator Eduardo Abuchaibe Ochoa,
said that the highway will stretch from Paraguachon to Castilletes '
along the border with Venezuela, a region in which the Colombian
Government, has-always.been -.conspicuous by its absence
The Guajira Assembly president stated that theformaloffer was,made
by the command of. the Vergara and Velasco Battalion, to, the, department's
governor,:Dr Jacobo Marquez Iguaran,:through the Cartagena Battalion
stationed inAliohacha.-'
10 Million Peso Contribution
Abuchaibe Lopez reported that since?the'governor had said, that the
department 'could not.' afford the fuel for this highly important project;
an ordinance was enacted authorizing him to secure a 10 million peso
domestic or international loan.
The Guajira deputy indicated that the Vergara Velasco battalion pledged
to provide the equipment,andthe Manpower to build the highway, the
construction of.which will be made, easier by the flat, even, terrain.-
"This highway will do more than just:link the three Guajiras. and
thus further progress; it will be a symbol of our country along the
border with'Venezuela," Abuchaibe Lopez stated.
Misleading Indication
Looking at a 1983 map of Colombia drawn up by the Agustin Codazzi
Geographical'Institute,-we.see,that.it indicates an unfinished highway
8
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visit Cuba for their next meeting. This invitation was immediately accepted:
It Was agreed that -tha,meeting Would.take place seon,'at :opportunetime for
both ministers,
[Signed] ISidoro MalMierca for the Cubar(GoVernment.
RaShleigh Jackson for the Guyanese Gov.eriamqt. ?
Georgetown, 10 Vovember19$:4
77q ,
CSO:- 320/167
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between the two towns mentioned at the beginning of the article.
We asked the president of the assembly about this. He replied:
"That's just a.big sham, because although the highway appears on
the map, it really doesn't exist. The rest of the country might
think it does, but in Guajira we know that it doesn't. That's why
we're so interested in the military engineers' offer to build this
extremely important project."
Needless to say, we also asked the defense minister, Gen Miguel. Vega
Uribe, and the commander of the army, Gen Rafaet:Obdulio Forero Moreno,
about the matter.. They said that they did notyethaVe firm information.
We were told that the highway would hook up with the Main Caribbean
Highway, which ends in Barranquilla.
We should note here that Castilletes, where the'highway will end,
was visited not long ago by the Seeond Senate Committee, which is
chaired by Senator Eduardo Abuchaibe, who made public the committee's
protest over the neglect of the country's border, zones, particularly'
the border with Venezuela.
Dam On Rancheria River
Another development proving that not only bad news comes from the
Guajira Peninsula was the announcement by Agriculture Minister Gustavo
Castro Guerrero to the Second Committee. . He said. that a dam will
definitely:bebuilt on the: Rancheria River, one of the projects to
which the residents of Guajira attach high' priority. The minister
mentioned that the contract for $2.4 million would be signed before.'
the end Of the year.
Speaking to the members of the Guajira Assembly and the large turnout
from the Guajira colony in Bogota, Minister Castro Guerrero read
the message that the ministry's general director, Dr Fabio Bermudez
Gomez, had sent him. It reads:
"The Honorable Gustavo Castro Guerrero:
"This morning, at noon Mr Vantadori from the Ifagraria Company called
from Rome to announce that the Italian Government had approved support
for the Rancheria River projects, as the Agriculture -Ministry had
requested in its: most recent communication.
"They, in turn, had informed our ambassadors in Rome to the Italian,
Government and to the FAO, and the Italian Government had already
sent news to its ambassador in Colombia,whoshould be forwarding
it to the National Planning Department and to yourself, Mr Minister.
"We await_your instructions to hasten all procedures so that the.
agreementcan be signed this month."
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Senator Abuchaibe thanked the minister for the interest that he has
shown in the project and stated that "we are on the threshold of
a social revolution on the La Guajira Peninsula, and therefore I
can go so far ,as to Say that it is more important for us to be able
to impound water than to have projects like El Cerrejon."
Pto. Oyez
.\ Castilletes
Merraripa
ParaiimaFullu
Ranchoorande
NOON
The highway that military engineers will build from Paraguachon to
Castilletes will pass through the towns indicated on the map.
8743
CSO: 3348/215
1-9
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