The children of the vallenato were the ones in charge to give the welcome to the ex- president of the United States, Bill Clinton, that arrived tonight at Cartagena for a visit of 24 hours. He accompanies Andrés Pastrana.
June 28 of 2002
ELTIEMPO.COM 9:20 p.m.
Ex- president of E.U. Bill Clinton arrived at Cartagena
Under extreme safety measures, the ex- agent chief executive landed towards the 8 at night in the airport Rafael Núñez and was received by president Pastrana and a retinue of children who sang in the White House during their mandate.
Clinton, that will participate in a forum with Colombian industralists, did not make declarations to the press and it was very pleased when saluting efusivamente to Pastrana and the singing children of Colombian music folkloric.
The ex- agent chief executive arrived with more than three hours of delay, reacted pleased and followed with his palms musical notes of the accordion, the guacharaca and the drums, whose rate he danced during the visit that made to this city the 29 of August of 2000, like president.
The greeting with Colombian agent chief executive Andrés Pastrana, to whom a efusivo hug gave, and with the ambassador of Washington in Bogota, Anne Patterson, lasted much less than its contact with the small musicians, who dressed typical suits the Colombian Caribbean, in which they excelled the denominated ' hats vueltiaos', of which the ex- agent chief executive has a unit.
Before approaching the vehicle that would take it to the Castle of San Felipe, in the walled city of Cartagena, where Pastrana it offered a supper in his honor, Clinton reunited to the ' singing Children of vallenató - name of the orchestra and took several photographies with them.
The same infantile orchestra had visited the ex- North American president at the end of 1998 during an official tour of Pastrana by the United States.
Dress with a gray suit, blue shirt and pink necktie, Clinton arrived at the airport of Cartagena in a Falcon-900 airplane in company of queen Noor of Jordan and the ambassador of Colombia in the United States, Luis Brown Alberto.
About 6,000 men of the troopses and police will at least guard this city until afternoon of Saturday when Clinton leaves the country.
Clinton, came to Colombia almost two years ago in a fleeting and historical visit.
In that opportunity both presidents inaugurated a new era in the matter of cooperation in the fight against drugs with launching of the Colombia Plan.
Since then, about 1,700 million dollars have begun to flow, that have been translated in the arrival of tens of helicopters, the antinarcotic training of a brigade of the army and some programs of social development.
Although Clinton no longer shows the position of Chief of State, operative of security mounted for its protection, the one of Pastrana and the one of elect president Alvaro Uribe he is not smaller.
The commander of the naval force of Atlantic, admiral Guillermo Potter, said to the AP that in the operative one to their position 4,000 men participate about, who already have begun to unfold by all the city and bordering municipalities.
"We hoped that everything comes out very well... we have not had threats of no type", it indicated.
In addition, eight equipped with artillery helicopters, five airplanes and 11 boats will be patrolling the Caribbean until the ex- ones agent chief executive returns to the United States, which this anticipating stops Saturday.
This morning, the authorities of the heróica city seized at least one hundred arms of different calibers. Within the operative ones of security, the security organisms also use in addition a robot against explosives that review streets meticulously, vehicles and constructions in which will enter Clinton.
Potter assured that the Department State, on the other hand, already the safety has intelligence agents supporting.
Also special forces of urban antiterrorism have been engaged in that with his rifles of assault with sights by telescope, took control of the Convention center of Cartagena, where Clinton it will within the framework dictate a conference of a forum on the form how the private sector can help to solve the armed conflict Colombian.
Other activities of the ex- agent chief executive include the attendance to a musical spectacle in the castle San Felipe and a visit to the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta, events that will be of restricted character.
Although in Cartagena it is hoped that Clinton is not fitted to the official activities and breaks the protocol, as it did it for two years, when it distributed squeezes of hand, hugs and kisses, while it crossed east colonial port.
And it is that here the politician has the dawn of a celebrity.
In the dusty streets of the Chiquinquirá district, a celestial house emphasizes between its pairs to have hung in the wall a blue metal plate with letters in relief that remembers the visit of the American.
"I would like that she came again here to give a hug him", it said to Ramon Mounts.
For its family the entrance of Clinton to its humble home in one late of August of the 2000 he is unforgettable. According to them, thanks to aid of the United States its wood house was transformed into a solid construction of concrete.
"For that reason now in the district they say to me that my padrino comes", it affirmed smiling Mounts.
The intervention of Clinton, of about 40 minutes of duration, is anticipated in the Convention center of Cartagena in the evening, before the closing of the event. Nostalagia of the presidential visit The consolation in the home of Antonia Sarmiento, in where there is no a weight to paint the rustic walls or to cover the cracks of the abandonment in the floor of the room it is the possible visit of the ex- American agent chief executive, so and as happened two years ago.
For that reason, this woman rose yesterday convinced that at least it was necessary to straighten the pictures and to order the chairs before Bill Clinton lowers late this of an airplane in the airport of Cartagena.
Something in its body of 87 years makes him feel, nevertheless, that Clinton will appear smiling in the entrance of its house and that will be crouched to cross the tiny threshold of the door, of the same form since it did it two years ago when still he was the president of the United States.
But the hunch of Antonia has like main enemy to the reality. Nowhere of the official agenda of Clinton, that begins to the 5:00 p.m., it appears as destiny this house of the Chiquinquirá district.
Near 24 hours that its visit will last they are distributed, until now, in a supper of honor in the castle of San Felipe with president Andrés Pastrana and the elect agent chief executive, Alvaro Uribe, in one night of rest in the House of Guests of Manzanillo and in a forum on the paper of the sector deprived in a country in crisis, that will settle tomorrow to 8:30 a.m.
"it does not matter to me. Perhaps it has left time and it appears of surprise ", it says Antonia and the hope smiles through its pale lips and of their mouth with a single tooth.
All know that to make change it of opinion it is impossible. It is enough with remembering that she was she who, against all odds, caught a veladora to him to a photo of Clinton, to the best style of miraculous santo, after knowing that thanks to its visit its wood farm became two years ago a house of concrete.
In fact, the miracle was a maquillaje question. The mayorship of Cartagena embellished hastily, in August of the 2000, all the sectors in where were predicted that Clinton would happen on board of its dark limosina Galaxi.
668 million weights to do face surgery to him to the city were necessary. With a small part of those money the house of Antonia, located in front of the House of Justice inaugurated by Clinton was constructed.
The bordering streets, including which the agent chief executive crossed to know the room of Antonia, were paved with 30 million weights. Other 103 million were reversed in main avenues and 80 more in works of urban embellecimiento.
By something, their inhabitants have said with Caribbean humor that Clinton has been the best Work secretary of the city. Nevertheless, today many of his ' obras' are a test that disguising the poverty it has his costs. Almost all the 227 palms seeded throughout the Santander avenue so that Clinton and its Chelsea daughter were observed by succumbed before the attack of the salty air, the sand and the abandonment.
Single 10 palms survive the front of the beach with their ill leaves and their colors of death. These natural adornments, that had the same use of the artificial games, cost more than five million weights, according to numbers of the Administrative Department of the Medio.ambiente.
But nonsingle the death palms today run the risk of being observed by Clinton. In this occasion by downtown the reality without maquillaje of the mendigos and the street handle sales can also be seen, mamoncillos, water of the Coco, radios of batteries and caps of baseball, that two years ago were exiled of the walled city.
In any case, although neither Clinton will arrive at the same Cartagena from two years ago, nor the city will receive to a American president in exercise, by all the corners of the walled city that sensation of curiosity and pride feels that will again maintain it in vilo during 24 hours.
The ex- president will not receive
Anybody knows with certainty to how much they promote the gains of ex- president Bill Clinton since he left the White House 16 months ago and he dedicated himself to dictate conferences everywhere receiving an average of 200,000 dollars by each one of his char them of one hour.
In any case, Clinton, that during the last months dictated conferences in countries like Ecuador, Spain and Malaysia, will not receive a weight to the Colombian government by char it of 45 minutes that it will give tomorrow, according to the Chancellery.
The ex- president decided not to pass an account of collection in affection signal towards the country.
In order to thank for his gesture, the government will tonight offer to Clinton a special supper to him in the castle of San Felipe. Its arrival to the airport will be to 5:00 p.m. in a private airplane.
During the supper the vallenatos children will appear, one comparsa of the Carnival of Barranquilla and a saxofonista of Bogota. Between the 100 guests he will be the elect president, Alvaro Uribe; several ' reyes' of the economic empires of the region like Gustavo Cisneros, of Venezuela, and the Colombians Julio Mario Santodomingo and Carlos Ardila Lülle. Also the attendance of queen Noor of Jordan is expected, that already has visited Colombia.
Tomorrow, the forum will be installed by president Andrés Pastrana to the 8:30 a.m. in the Convention center of Cartagena. To the 3:30 p.m., Clinton will happen to the front and will speak before industralists on the paper that must fulfill the sector deprived to save to a country.
6 thousand men will offer security to the ex- president of E.U. Bill Clinton in their visit to Cartagena
Up to 20 kilos of weight, between arms, vests, helmet and other equipment, in addition to inclemente the heat that by this time lives Cartagena, will have to support the men who take care of the ex- agent chief executive while its visit from 30 hours to the city lasts.
Experts, equipped with sights by telescope, modern radii of communications and watched from the sky over two helicopters arpía and two
The Bells 412, also are within the group of near 6,000 men of the Troopses, the Police, the DAS and the Office of the public prosecutor selected to guarantee that in Cartagena she does not pass anything during the stay of the ex- agent chief executive.
In addition, the government of the United States designated to a special guard for the illustrious visitor, who consists of about 30 men of the secret service and escorts personal.
"a special one was coordinated operative that includes men of Special Forces of the expert Army in the rescue of hostages, a group of the dedicated Marines to fight the urban terrorism, are three battalions, snipers, the best escorts of the country, speedboats of persecution and all a network of intelligence to the service of this event", said colonel Alexander Parra, commander of the First Brigade of Marines.
The military and the Police have had control actions on the routes, she has you confiscate in each corner and each street of the Historical Center guarded by a man.
An expert robot in the disarmament of pumps also arrived at the city and its operation will be in charge of the National Police.
Intelligence also has worked, according to colonel Parra, men of all the organizations of the State have been located in places strategic to prevent criminal acts.
Until the smallest knife it is being controlled by the military administrations and policivas. A denominated plan "Taking of the City of Cartagena" allowed the Police to seize 100 firearms, 485 cutting weapons, 312 cartridges of different caliber and two grenades from fragmentation.
For the authorities, everything has been ready, only lack that Clinton I arrived and ' enjoyment at Cartagená, where already once decided to dance cumbia and mapalé for two years. To Clinton they take care of it by earth, sea and air
LORENA MUÑOZ MARRUGO
Correspondent
Cartagena
Too bad Clinton could not enjoy a CVA! ( cardio vascular attack). I am just sick and tired of seeing his ugly mug in the news and I am really ticked at his constant lose bowels of the mouth especially as regards Bush. He and Carter ought to take a fast train to one of their favorite socialist countries.
In an April 1998 interview with Houston Public News reporter Toby Rogers, former President George Bush's Chief of Staff Michael C. Dannenhauer2 admitted that G. W. Bush "was out of control since college. There was cocaine use, lots of women, but the drinking was the worst." According to Dannenhauer, Bush's use of cocaine started "sometime before 1977" and that former President Bush told him that George W. even experienced some "lost weekends in Mexico."
Piece of dog dirt needs to be in Jail. No telling how many Canadians died as a result of him selling them tainted Arkansas prisoner blood.
I like the way he appointed the man responsible for the Mena investigation to the head spot in the DEA. Who says failure doesn't pay.
Bill Clinton is almost as much of a disgrace as an ex-President as he was a sitting President. He is not an elder statesman - he is an international jet-setter.
