Colombian Ambassador Host Reception...............
Jim Todd
Group 13 ETV
On September 15, newly arrived Colombian Ambassador to the U.S. Carolina Barco took the initiative to invite former Colombia volunteers (some of whom were in Washington for the RPCA's 45th anniversary events) to her embassy for a reception. She asked them to continue serving as individual "ambassadors" for Colombia throughout the U.S. Recalling that 2006 is the centennial of Alberto Lleras Camargo's birth (he was President of Colombia in 1961 and personally welcomed the first group of volunteers who arrived), she lauded his work with President Kennedy on the Alliance for Progress.
Ambassador Barco also expressed interest in working with Friends of Colombia, especially with regard to grass-roots development projects that FOC has been assisting. Finally, she showed a short DVD entitled "Colombia is Passion" designed to promote tourism and deliver the message that there's more to Colombia than the drug problem. FOC President Arleen Cheston responded to the Ambassador's remarks, thanked her for the reception, and pledged that FOC looks forward to cooperating with the Colombian embassy in identifying worthy development projects and in its outreach efforts here in the U.S.