The Colombian Embassy in the US signed a million-dollar contract with the company FGS Global to be the official lobbyist for Gustavo Petro’s government in that country. Sources consulted by this newspaper speak of a delicate moment in bilateral relations.
(Read here: ‘Republicans close the door to Francia Márquez because of her skin color’: Democratic leader)
Although the hiring of lobbying or public relations firms is common in Washington and almost all Colombian governments prior to Gustavo Petro’s have had them at some point, the decision of the Colombian presidency to acquire the services, at least for a year, of one of the most reputable companies in its field to advance its strategic interests, speaks of the moment, for some delicate, that bilateral relations are going through.
(See also: United States: Colombians in Washington warn about Gustavo Petro’s policies)
On September 12, the firm FGS Global reported to the US Department of Justice. that she had entered into a consulting contract with the government Colombian valued at $540,000 (more than 2,000 million pesos) that will be paid in monthly installments of 45,000 dollars (about 180 million). The contract is valid, for now, until August 31, 2024.
Fara, or the Foreign Agents Registration Act, is a 1938 US law that requires these companies to report any contract with a foreign country or company that seeks some type of mediation to the country’s public entities, mainly the administration or Congress. That’s because unlike other countries like Colombia, lobbying in the US is codified.
This week, the Colombian embassy issued a brief statement in which it addressed the news of the hiring of the lobbying firm.
“The government of Colombia has hired the services of FGS Global for strategic advice and support in communications of the expanded and diverse Colombia – United States agenda, as well as its impact on the region. Based on more than two centuries of bilateral relations and on the productive consultations between the administrations of both countries, we continue working to advance, from new approaches, the opportunities offered by our diversified common agenda,” the embassy explained.
The government of Colombia has hired the services of FGS Global for strategic advice and support in communications of the expanded and diverse Colombia-United States agenda
FGS Global, is the former Glover Park Group, a lobbying company founded in 2001 by former officials of President Bill Clinton and people associated with the Democratic Party. Among them, Joe Lochhart, who was his press officer.
In 2021, the Group merged with Finsbury and Hering Schuppener – and then with Sard Verbinnen & co. – from which FSG Global emerged. Over the years, Glover Park – now FSG – became a company considered bipartisan, as it also has people close to the Republican party on its payroll.
It is known that the Colombia account will be managed by three of its members. First, Adam Sharon, who was chief of communications for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he worked very closely with Bob Menendez, who until this week was chairman of this legislative committee.
Also Brett O’Brien, who was national security adviser to Rep. Dick Gephardt (for a few years the Democratic minority leader in the House); and Joshua Gross, who has previously managed the Afghanistan portfolio for this same firm.
In Washington, these types of companies are classified into two groups: public relations (PR) companies and lobbying companies, which also deal with public relations issues, but at a different level.
Companies that are dedicated to PR focus more on helping to write statements or communication strategies, but they do not come into direct contact with officials or congressmen to lobby on behalf of their client.
Lobbyists, on the other hand, do so and focus on what they call “strategic communications,” which includes access to leaders.media, think tanks and other strategic public actors.
Of course, the rates for both tasks are different. While those in PR charge about 15,000 a month or 180,000 a year, Lobbying ones cost three times as much, between $35,000 and $45,000, depending on the prestige of the firm and the access they promise.
Former Colombian presidents who have promoted PR or lobbying in the United States
Colombia, over the last 25 years, has used both PR and lobbying companies, depending on the moment.
In 1998, when President Andrés Pastrana came to power and sent Luis Alberto Moreno as ambassador, he hired the lobbying firm Akin Gump, Srauss, Hauer, and Feld, close to the Democratic Party and which at that time occupied the White House. with Clinton.
The firm’s work was considered essential, since relations with Washington were at one of their worst moments and support was sought for what later became known as Plan Colombia.
During the Álvaro Uribe government, especially during the years of the FTA negotiation, two lobbying companies were hired.
The same Glover Park – today FGS – and Peck, Maddigan, Jones, and Stewart, is closer to the Republican party. A third PR firm headed by Mark Penn, who was part of Hillary Clinton’s insiders, was even briefly hired. In fact, part of that work continued during the government of Juan Manuel Santos until the FTA was approved and came into force in May 2012.
From that moment on, subsequent governments, that is, the second term of Santos and that of former President Iván Duque, resorted only to Fratelli, a PR firm that charged them between 12,000 and 15,000 dollars per month.
The Petro era
Petro urgently needs to build a new message that softens his image in Washington and emphasizes the importance of preserving the relationship with Colombia.
The work with Fratelli continued for 10 years until August of last year, when Petro became president and the contract was not renewed. Since then, the Colombian embassy had been operating without any type of paid advice, until now when FGS was hired.
According to multiple sources consulted by this newspaper, including former Colombian and American ambassadors, the contract with FGS is logical, and was almost urgent, given the winds that blow in Washington and that they feel against.
Although the relationship between the Biden administration and the Petro government are cordial and have found common fronts such as the environment and immigrationit is evident that tensions exist given the positions of the first left-wing government in the country’s history.
Especially when it comes to the fight against drugs and relations with Cuba and Venezuela. Issues that are explosive in US domestic politics
In general, these sources say, the bipartisanship that characterized bilateral relations in the past has fragmented, especially among certain sectors of the Republican party, in which Petro is not seen favorably.
In fact, the funds that the US gives annually to Colombia (about $450 million) are in danger because the upper house, controlled by Republicans, decided to exclude all funds for the country.
This added to the fact that President Petro’s rapprochements with Cuba and Nicolás Maduro’s Venezuela have become an irritant even for democratic sectors.
Something that explains, for example, that the Colombian account in FGS is managed by Sharon, Menéndez’s former advisor. This senator, of Cuban-American origin, but a Democrat, is one of the Colombian president’s strongest critics because of these two relationships. His help, however, is vital not only to ensure that funds are approved for the country, but also to confirm a new ambassador in Bogotá, a position that has been vacant for more than a year and whose approval depends on his Committee in the Senate.
The other problem that the Colombian president, and therefore his ambassador in Washington, Luis Gilberto Murillo, has is that of the electoral campaign in the United States for the presidential and legislative elections next year, which has already begun.
As happened in the 2020 elections, it is very possible that Colombia will become a punching bag, especially in the state of Florida, where the Republicans will surely attack Biden and the Democrats for their closeness to Gustavo Petro and for allowing, in In their own words, the country becomes socialist.
“Petro needs, and urgently, to build a new message that softens its image in Washington and that emphasizes the importance of preserving the relationship with Colombia not only for bilateral but also regional interests. And in that, a firm like FGS can help,” a former American diplomat told this newspaper.
SERGIO GÓMEZ MASERI
ELTIEMPO correspondent
Washington
On Twitter: @sergom68
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