Reference ID

Created

Released

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Origin

08BOGOTA2293

2008-06-24 22:10

2011-02-18 21:09

CONFIDENTIAL

Embassy Bogota

Appears in these articles: www.letemps.ch/swiss_papers VZCZCXYZ0001 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHBO #2293/01 1762206 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 242206Z JUN 08 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3325 INFO RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN PRIORITY 1468 RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 8261 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0607 RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 6295 RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA PRIORITY 1912 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1309 RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 6961 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFIUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY 159499 2008-06-24 22:06:00

08BOGOTA2293

VZCZCXYZ0001\ PP RUEHWEB\ DE RUEHBO #2293/01 1762206\ ZNY CCCCC ZZH\ P 242206Z JUN 08\ FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA\ TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3325\

Embassy Bogota CONFIDENTIAL

INFO RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN PRIORITY 1468\ RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 8261\ RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0607\ RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 6295\ RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA PRIORITY 1912\ RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1309\ RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 6961\ RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY\ RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY\ RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY\ RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY\ RHMFIUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY\ RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY\ C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 002293 \ SIPDIS \ E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2018 \ TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PTER PHUM CO SUBJECT: FARC INTENTIONS ON HUMANITARIAN EXCHANGE REMAIN UNCLEAR \ Classified By: Political Counselor John Creamer \ Reasons 1.4 (b and d) SUMMARY ¶1. (C) On June 21-22 the FARC released proof of life videos for two Colombian hostages, and the media reported renewed French contacts with the FARC Secretariat--a claim discounted by the French Embassy in Bogota. XXXXXXXXXXXX told us the GOC received a message from a reliable contact who claims to have a new FARC humanitarian exchange/peace proposal. XXXXXXXXXXXX said the GOC will likely explore the FARC channel, but believes FARC leader "Alfonso Cano" views negotiations in purely tactical, Leninist terms. XXXXXXXXXXXX also said he has received a FARC peace proposal, while XXXXXXXXXXXX told us FARC 1st Front Commander "Cesar" continues to explore an individual demobilization deal involving Ingrid Betancourt. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who visited Colombia in March, is planning another trip to Bogota to engage on the humanitarian exchange issue. End Summary. FARC PROOF OF LIFE FOR COLOMBIAN HOSTAGES ¶2. (U) The FARC provided video tapes on June 21-22 to local officials in Cali with proof of life for FARC-held hostages Sigfredo Lopez and soldier Pablo Moncayo. Lopez, the only survivor of a group of 12 state assemblymen kidnapped by the FARC (eleven others were murdered by the group in June, 2007) called on the GOC and the FARC to hasten efforts towards a humanitarian accord, and accused President Uribe of intransigence. The video was apparently filmed on March 30.

Moncayo, son of humanitarian accord activist Professor Gustavo Moncayo, urged fellow hostage Ingrid Betancourt to remain strong in captivity. FRENCH TRY TO REESTABLISH FARC CONTACTS ¶3. (C) French media reported that high-level sources in the GOF claimed to have "resumed contact with certain members of the FARC Secretariat" after contacts ceased with the March 1 death of Raul Reyes, but French DCM Alain Fort said the media misquoted the GOF source. Fort said he was not aware of any French contacts at the Secretariat-level. The Elysee sources also reportedly claimed that Betancourt was alive and in poor, but stable, health. Meanwhile, former FARC hostage Luis Eladio Perez continues to claim that the FARC's release of Betancourt and other hostages is imminent. XXXXXXXXXXXX told us Perez claims to have received a call while in Europe from FARC International Commission member "Andre Paris" who told him the FARC would soon unilaterally free Betancourt and other hostages. ¶4. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX added that the computer files recovered from the FARC/Reyes computers show French intermediary Noel Saez and Swiss envoy Jean Pierre Gontard in a bad light. For example, XXXXXXXXXXXX said that in February Saez told Reyes the GOF would lift the EU's classification of the FARC as a terrorist group and allow the FARC to open an office in Paris in exchange for Betancourt's release. XXXXXXXXXXXX said that Saez' and Gontard's FARC sympathies made it difficult to accept them as facilitators. Still, the GOC has not communicated its concerns to the French or Swiss. GOC CONSIDERS FARC CONTACTS ¶5. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX told us on June 19 that the GOC suspended contact "through a reliable source" with Guillermo Leon Saenz Vargas ("Alfonso Cano") and Jorge Torres Victoria ("Pablo Catatumbo") last August after authorizing Senator Piedad Cordoba and Venezuelan President Chavez to facilitate humanitarian talks. The contact recently reached out with a new FARC proposal. The GOC is considering whether to receive the proposal, or to instead focus its negotiation resources on individual FARC commanders. XXXXXXXXXXXX said Uribe would likely opt to explore the FARC channel, but cautioned that the GOC believes Cano remains focused on consolidating his authority and views negotiations in purely tactical, Leninist terms. XXXXXXXXXXXX commented that the GOC last received a FARC proposal on February 28. That proposal linked FARC release of its civilian hostages to GOC recognition of the group's belligerent status. Negotiations on release of military hostages would follow with the demilitarization of Florida and Pradera. ¶6. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX told us June 17 that he also has received details of a FARC offer to the GOC through a contact close to Cano. XXXXXXXXXXXX outlined an offer similar to the February proposal described by XXXXXXXXXXXX. He said he would brief XXXXXXXXXXXX on his contacts. XXXXXXXXXXXX told us the GOC knew of XXXXXXXXXXXX's outreach to Cano and had his contact "controlled." XXXXXXXXXXXX said the GOC had revoked its authorization for intermediaries Alvaro Leyva and Carlos Lozano to reach out to the FARC, but added that the two continue to [do] so on their own. Due to evidence contained in the Reyes' computers, Lozano and Leyva are under investigation by the Prosecutor General's Office (Fiscalia) for their previous FARC contacts. CHURCH: INDIRECT CONTACT WITH 1st FRONT COMMANDER "CESAR" ¶7. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX told us on June 13 that the Church is in indirect contact with FARC First Front Commander Giraldo Antonio Alguilar Ramirez

("Cesar") who is supposedly seeking GOC release of his wife and daughter -as well as a GOC commitment to allow himself, his family, and any FARC who demobilize with him safe passage to France -- in exchange for freeing Ingrid Betancourt. XXXXXXXXXXXX briefed Defense Vice-Minister Sergio Jaramillo who promised his full cooperation. If the deal came through, XXXXXXXXXXXX said the Church would participate at the parish priest level, due to fears that higher-level involvement would burn the Church with the FARC Secretariat. XXXXXXXXXXXX told us June 17 that the ICRC has not been able to reestablish contact with the Secretariat since Reyes' death. He considers demobilization by a local commander holding the hostages more likely than a Secretariat authorized release. ¶8. (SBU) New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson's staff told us the governor is likely to travel to Colombia in the near-term to continue his engagement on the FARC humanitarian accord issue. Richardson, who visited Colombia in March, reportedly remains in contact with Columbia University's Aldo Civico and XXXXXXXXXXXX on the exchange issue. BRONWFIELD