COLOMBIA: 21ST INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY FAIR OPENING

(7 Jul 1996) Spanish/Nat

Colombia has opened its 21st International Technology Fair in the midst of a political crisis.

Thirty-two countries from Europe, Asia and the Americas will exhibit the latest in technology.

The United States has the largest pavilion - a sign for many that American businesses are at odds with their government's threats to impose sanctions against Colombia.

The International Fair of Bogota has kicked off with participants from 32 countries from around the world.

The biannual fair is considered the largest display of technology in Latin America.

It is also seen by many as a way to show a different and positive side of Colombia - a nation besieged by drugs and political scandals that have tainted its image abroad.

This year the exposition opened in the midst of a crisis in relations between the United States and Colombia.

The United States has announced it could impose sanctions against Colombia unless the government improves its efforts to crack down on drug traffickers.

At the inauguration Thursday, Colombian President Ernesto Samper said his government will defend Colombian trade interests.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
It is worrisome that with such strong and old bilateral relations and having so many interests at stake for the development of Colombia, there's now talk about an imminent trade war that will result from the imposition of unilateral that will affect not only Colombian interests in the United States, but also American interests in Colombia whose defence, of course, the Colombian government has already assumed.
SUPER CAPTION: Ernesto Samper, President of Colombia

The president added that economic sanctions would only benefit the drug cartels.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
The only ones who will benefit from a trade war between our countries will be the drug cartels which ironically will find the way open to replace with their criminal industries those closed by wrong unilateral decisions to supposedly combat drug trafficking.
SUPER CAPTION: Ernesto Samper, President of Colombia

Despite the spectre of economic sanctions, the United States has the largest pavilion at the International Fair. American businessmen have expressed their concern with the issue of sanctions which they say would affect their business.

Colombian businessmen are confident the U-S will back away from imposing sanctions.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
Colombia and the United States have had trade relations for over 200 years. We've kept strong ties and I don't think there will be sanctions. We must understand the political process taking place now in the United States in terms of elections which implicates battles between parties. We must look at the trade background to see that it (sanctions) would be very difficult.
SUPER CAPTION: LUIS Alejandro Vargas, General Manager World Security Systems

The United States is Colombia's main trade partner.

Colombia is the United States' second largest trade partner in South America.

Sanctions would affect mainly Colombia's coffee and flower industries.

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