A Colombian mayor appealed to OU Colombian exchange students Friday, asking them return to their home country and build a stronger nation after completing their studies at OU.

The Colombian Student Association hosted the mayor of Bucaramanga, Colombia Fernando Vargas Mendoza, to discuss economic development in Latin America.

Vargas addressed poverty, education improvements and small business support in the South American country.

“There is little money in the country; business is small,” Vargas said. “The state can’t invest in the towns, health and education.”

Colombia is rich with mines, oil, emeralds and coffee beans, he said, and with the hard-working people of Colombia, it would be possible to use these resources and improve the country.

He said education would have to become a top priority to decrease poverty levels. His proposal in his mayoral campaign included incentives for students to attend college and graduate school and then be given monetary help to start businesses. He said universities in Colombia need to have strong ties with universities in the U.S.

“Everyone in the U.S. has access to the best education, but in our country it is not so,” Vargas said. “The poor don’t have technology and libraries, and therefore aren’t able to study well in school.”

Vargas encouraged Colombian exchange students to strengthen their country by using their education to improve life in Colombia.

“You have a compromise with your country to come back and improve society publicly and privately. You need to think about coming back to your country,” Vargas said.

Kristen Hansen, Latin American studies senior, attended Vargas’ discussion and said she appreciated his efforts to dispel negative stereotypes about Colombia. She said many people tend to focus on Colombia’s dangerous drug trafficking history.

“There is stigma in Colombia that is not true. He wants Americans to know that Colombia is safe,” Hansen said.

Vargas said the drug trade has lowered and so have poverty levels, especially in Bucaramanga.

According to Vargas’ informational brochures, Bucaramanga is a metropolitan city located in the northern part of Colombia, neighboring Venezuela and is part of the five most important Colombian cities. Bucaramanga also hosts La Universidad Industrial de Santander, a university where some of OU’s International Colombian graduates studied before coming to the U.S.

Ariana Quezada, Latin American history graduate student, said she found Vargas’ ideas innovative.

“He strove to separate himself from the stereotypical politicians in Latin America,” Quezada said. “I do, however, wonder how viable his economic plans are and the possible negative implications for the small business owner.”

Graduates from La Universidad Industrial de Santander and OU students Walmy Cuello and Hernando Delgado also found Vargas’ discussion enlightening.

“Amazing. He knew the city and how it used to be,” said Cuello, referring to Bucaramanga.

Agreeing with Vargas, Delgado said returning to Colombia to contribute to the country’s development is the right thing to do.

“It’s like a reminder. When you come here you look for the American dream,” Delgado said. “When you feel like the country is progressing, you want to go back and share what you have learned and help make their life easier.”