UNCLASSIFIED ISP-I-19-14 Office of Inspections April 2019 Inspection of Embassy Bogota, Colombia BUREAU OF WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED April 2019 OFFICE OF INSPECTIONS BUREAU OF WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS Inspection of Embassy Bogota, Colombia What OIG Found ISP-I-19-14 The Ambassador and the Deputy Chief of Mission What OIG Inspected led Embassy Bogota in a professional and OIG inspected the executive direction, program collaborative manner consistent with the and policy implementation, and resource Department of State’s leadership principles. management operations of Embassy Bogota. The Bureau of Consular Affairs needed to What OIG Recommends determine and correct the cause of a persistent OIG made 39 recommendations: 29 to Embassy shortfall in nonimmigrant visa application fees at Bogota to improve management and information Embassy Bogota. management operations and 9 to address issues Consular Section leadership focused on in the Political, International Narcotics and Law adjudication speed in the visa unit to the detriment Enforcement, Public Diplomacy, and Consular of other priorities. Sections; and 1 to the Bureau of Consular Affairs The embassy’s International Narcotics and Law regarding the collection and reconciliation of Enforcement Section needed to improve its end nonimmigrant visa application fees. use monitoring of Department of Defense articles. The embassy ranked second highest in the In its comments on the draft report, the Department for total number of motor vehicle Department concurred with 38 collisions overseas, with 265 incidents from FY recommendations and disagreed with 1. OIG 2012 through FY 2017. considers all recommendations, except one, resolved. The Department’s response to each The Information Management Section needed to recommendation and OIG’s reply can be found in correct several deficiencies to protect personally the Recommendations section of this report. The identifiable information and comply with Department’s formal written responses are Department information security standards at the reprinted in their entirety in Appendix B. Embassy Branch Office in Cartagena. Spotlight on Success: The embassy’s Regional Security Office created an innovative map of Colombia that consolidated up-to-date threat information and security incidents in areas visited by embassy personnel. UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED CONTENTS CONTEXT ......................................................................................................................................... 1 EXECUTIVE DIRECTION .................................................................................................................... 2 Tone at the Top and Standards of Conduct ................................................................................ 2 Execution of Foreign Policy Goals and Objectives ...................................................................... 3 Adherence to Internal Controls ................................................................................................... 5 Security and Emergency Planning ............................................................................................... 5 Developing and Mentoring Foreign Service Professionals ......................................................... 6 POLICY AND PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION ................................................................................... 6 Political and Economic Sections .................................................................................................. 7 International Narcotics and Law Enforcement ........................................................................... 9 Public Diplomacy ....................................................................................................................... 14 Consular Affairs ......................................................................................................................... 16 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................................... 18 General Services Operations ..................................................................................................... 18 Human Resources ...................................................................................................................... 23 Financial Management .............................................................................................................. 25 Facilities Management .............................................................................................................. 28 INFORMATION MANAGEMENT .................................................................................................... 29 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................... 35 PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS .................................................................................................................... 46 APPENDIX A: OBJECTIVES, SCOPE, AND METHODOLOGY............................................................. 47 APPENDIX B: MANAGEMENT RESPONSES .................................................................................... 48 ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................................ 59 OIG INSPECTION TEAM MEMBERS ............................................................................................... 60 UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED CONTEXT The Republic of Colombia is the fifth largest country in Latin America with a population of nearly 48 million. Bogota, the capital, is also the largest city with 10.6 million people. Other important urban centers include Barranquilla, Cali, Cartagena, and Medellin. Diplomatic relations between Colombia and the United States date from 1822. The United States supports Colombia’s efforts to build on the political, economic, and social progress achieved since the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, signed a peace treaty in 2016. This accord ended 52 years of armed conflict that killed more than 220,000 people and displaced more than 7 million. However, Colombia’s recovery from conflict is hindered by a resurgence in coca cultivation, a proliferation of criminal organizations, and political and economic instability in neighboring Venezuela, which resulted in an influx of Venezuelans into Colombia. Colombia is currently the world’s leading coca cultivator. After decreases in cocaine production from 2008 to 2012, cocaine production has increased each year since 2012.1 Independent researchers and non-governmental experts2 describe the increase as a multi-faceted problem.3 In particular, Department officials cite the termination of U.S.-funded aerial eradication and a shift in Colombia’s narcotics control strategy as key factors in the rise in coca cultivation and cocaine production. Since FY 2000, the U.S. Government has provided more than $10 billion in foreign assistance to Colombia, primarily to combat the illicit drug trade and support security and development programs. The United States also provides assistance to support Colombia’s efforts to address the more than 1 million Venezuelans who have crossed into Colombia due to Venezuela’s instability. In 2017, the United States was Colombia’s largest trading partner and Colombia was the United States’ 22nd largest export market for U.S. goods. That year, U.S. goods exported to Colombia totaled $13.3 billion while U.S. goods imported from Colombia totaled $13.6 billion. In 2012, the two countries implemented the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, which eliminated tariffs on more than 80 percent of U.S. exports of consumer and industrial products 1 This report uses cocaine production statistics prepared by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. These statistics refer to potential pure cocaine production that could be produced from coca under cultivation as “cocaine production.” Between 2012 and 2017, cocaine production increased 338 percent. 2 Government Accountability Office, U.S. Counternarcotics Assistance Achieved Some Positive Results, but State Needs to Review the Overall U.S. Approach (GAO-19-06, December 2018). 3 Independent researchers and non-governmental experts identify four primary reasons for the increase in coca cultivation and cocaine production: (1) FARC leadership encouraged coca growers to plant more coca in advance of the peace agreement’s implementation in anticipation of payments from the Government of Colombia for crop substitution programs; (2) Colombia’s existing crop substitution and alternative development efforts have been underfunded and less than fully effective; (3) the aerial eradication program has been eliminated without a corresponding increase in manual eradication efforts, facilitating higher levels of coca planting; and (4) factors such as higher global demand and declines in gold prices strengthened financial incentives for coca cultivation. ISP-I-19-14 1 UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED to Colombia. In May 2018, Colombia became a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, reflecting its attainment of policy standards and institutional changes that improved competitiveness, governance, and prospects for sustainable growth. Embassy Bogota’s 2018 Integrated Country Strategy (ICS) primary goals include: Promote and support a whole-of-government strategy to strengthen government institutions,