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Colombia

Farmer Leonel Oviedo and his wife Myrra Guzman, participated in the New Entry training class in 2007.

Farmer Profile — Leonel Oviedo

Farmer Leonel Oviedo arrived in the U.S. from Colombia in 1999. Prior to coming to the U.S., Leonel worked on his father's farm raising cows, fish, pork and some poultry, and growing watermelon. Leonel describes his family farm in Colombia as both a lifestyle and a business. Prior to coming to the U.S., Leonel also worked in a rice processing company and he owned a bakery. Myrra's family were also farmers. Prior to joining the training course at New Entry, she took courses in Colombia to learn how to raise poultry and pork.

Country Facts

Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). A 40-year conflict between government forces and insurgent groups and illegal paramilitary groups - both heavily funded by the drug trade - escalated during the 1990s. The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government, and violence has been decreasing since about 2002, but insurgents continue attacks against civilians and large swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence. More than 32,000 former paramilitaries had demobilized by the end of 2006 and the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) as a formal organization had largely ceased to function. Still, some renegades continued to engage in criminal activities. The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its municipalities. However, neighboring countries worry about the violence spilling over their borders.

Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama
Capital: Bogota
Area: Land area is 1,138,910 sq. km
Climate: tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands
Terrain: flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains
Land Use: arable land: 2.01%,permanent crops: 1.37%,other: 96.62% (2005)
Irrigated Land: 9,000 sq. km
Population: 44,379,978
Life Expectancy: 72 years
GDP per capita: $8,600
Under 5 mortality rate (per 1000 live births): 21
Ethnic Groups: mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Amerindian 3%, Amerindian 1%
Languages: Spanish
Major Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, other 10%

Agriculture

Agriculture has traditionally been the chief economic activity in Colombia. Colombia's diverse climate and topography permit the cultivation of a wide variety of crops, but coffee is by far the major crop, which contributes 7% to the country's GDP. Colombia is also the 2nd largest exporter of cut flowers in the world. The illicit drug trade (Colombia is the largest producer of cocaine in the world) accounts for about 25% of foreign exchange earnings.

Agriculture Products: coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables; forest products; shrimp

Traditional Foods

Colombian foods have Spanish influences. Many foods are cooked or served with olive oil, cheese, parsley, cilantro, garlic, and onions. Hot chile peppers are served on the side of most dishes. Local fruits and vegetables are abundant, and tropical fruits are often dried to make fruit leather. In Colombia, chicken stew and sancocho (a meat stew with starchy vegetables) are popular. One of the most unusual specialties of Colombia is hormiga, a dish made from fire ants. Toasted ants are also a favorite treat during the insect season in June.