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Viewing cable 06BOGOTA5894, COLOMBIA SCENESETTER FOR CODEL CORNYN, JULY 3-5

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06BOGOTA5894 2006-06-29 22:50 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Bogota
VZCZCXYZ0029
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #5894/01 1802250
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY  ADX EBD9F8/MSI5537)
P 292250Z JUN 06 ZDS
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6534
INFO RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 2115
UNCLAS BOGOTA 005894 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
H FOR CODEL CORNYN 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY // PARA 14 CLASSIFICATION CHANGE 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR ECON CO
SUBJECT: COLOMBIA SCENESETTER FOR CODEL CORNYN, JULY 3-5 
 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. (SBU) Post warmly welcomes the July 3-5 visit of CODEL 
Cornyn to Colombia.  President Alvaro Uribe was re-elected in 
May; he is the first president to be re-elected to a second, 
consecutive term in Colombia,s history.  Close bilateral 
relations between the United States and Colombia are expected 
to continue in his second term, which will begin with his 
second inauguration on August 7.  With USG assistance, 
President Uribe has made great strides in fighting drug 
trafficking and terrorism.  President Uribe recognizes U.S. 
support as key for the success of the nation-wide, 
multi-phased offensive by the security forces to re-take key 
territory from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia 
(FARC).  As a result of joint U.S.-Colombian efforts, drug 
eradication and interdiction are at record levels.  USAID 
programs are aimed at strengthening democratic institutions, 
creating alternative development opportunities, and assisting 
people displaced by internal violence.  Colombia,s human 
rights record, although imperfect, is improving.  The peace 
process with the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) 
has resulted in the demobilization of over 30,000 
paramilitaries, but rigorous implementation and application 
of the Justice and Peace Law are keys to ensuring that both 
the goals of justice and peace are realized.  Exploratory 
talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN) are focused on 
establishing an agenda for formal negotiations and a 
ceasefire agreement.  Immediately after his re-election, 
Uribe declared FARC peace talks to be the first priority of 
his second term; the FARC has lately responded to these 
overtures with interest and demands.  A first step would be a 
humanitarian exchange, including the three U.S. citizens who 
have been held hostage by the FARC for more than three years; 
their safe recovery continues to be one of our top 
priorities.  The economy continues to improve and the United 
States and Colombia concluded Free Trade Agreement 
negotiations in February.  Relations with neighboring 
countries are generally good. 
 
----------------- 
Internal Politics 
----------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) President Uribe is the first Colombian president to 
be re-elected to a second, consecutive term.  He was 
re-elected on May 28 with 62 percent of the vote, and 2 
million more votes than the coalition of pro-Uribe parties 
that won a collective majority in the House and Senate on 
March 12.  The left-leaning Polo Democratico Alternativo 
party presidential candidate, Carlos Gaviria, won 22 percent 
of the vote, giving the left its best ever showing in 
Colombia and spurring potentially premature speculation as to 
a 2010 presidential victory.  The Liberal party received 12 
percent of the vote, coming in third for their first time in 
more than 40 years.  The fate of Colombia,s two 
traditionally dominant parties, the Liberals and the 
Conservatives (who are part of the pro-Uribe coalition), 
remains unclear.  Uribe,s second inauguration will be held 
August 7, 2006. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
U.S. Assistance Key to Security Improvements 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
3. (SBU) USG assistance to Colombia (Plan Colombia) is 
premised on combating the interrelated threats of drug 
trafficking and terrorism and includes training, material 
aid, and guidance to security forces and other institutions. 
President Uribe and Colombian Minister of Defense (MOD) 
Camilo Ospina Bernal have characterized U.S. assistance as 
key to the GOC,s "Democratic Security" policy - aimed at 
establishing a state presence throughout national territory - 
and acknowledged the United States as Colombia,s most 
important ally. 
 
 -- Plan Patriota: The military's multi-phased campaign to 
re-take areas dominated by the FARC is in its third year. 
The first phase, which focused on securing Cundinamarca 
Department, which surrounds Bogota, pushed the FARC out of 
reach of the capital.  The second, much more complex phase, 
is focused on the FARC,s traditional stronghold in Southern 
Colombia.  Infectious diseases - especially leishmaniasis, a 
parasitic skin infection - and landmines are the leading 
causes of military casualties.  The FARC continues to attack 
isolated or smaller police and military targets throughout 
the country, while mostly avoiding direct and larger scale 
confrontation with units operating under Joint Task Force 
Omega in the Plan Patriota area of operations.  Two notable 
exceptions include the late December 2005 attack that killed 
29 Colombian soldiers just outside of La Macarena National 
Park and two attacks on civilians, resulting in 17 dead and 
14 injured, in Southern Colombia in late February, a few 
weeks before the March 12 Congressional elections.  The May 
28 presidential elections, however, were the least violent in 
recent history; the FARC leadership publicly renounced 
operations during election weekend and encouraged voting 
against Uribe. 
 
-- Center for Coordinated Integral Action: With support from 
the U.S. MILGRP, the GOC formed in 2005 an interagency center 
to facilitate social services in seven areas that have 
traditionally lacked state presence and been subject to 
pressure from illegal armed groups.  The Center focuses on 
providing immediate social services, including documentation 
and medical assistance, and longer-term economic development 
projects.  In addition, more than 40,000 individuals have 
been enrolled in state health care, and judges, 
investigators, and public defenders have been placed in all 
16 municipalities of the Plan Patriota area.  A public 
library was opened in early 2006 in the town of San Vicente 
del Caguan, which had long been dominated by the FARC and had 
symbolic value. 
 
-- Plan Colombia II: The GOC has provided Washington with a 
draft proposal of Plan Colombia II.  Most of the program 
areas outlined are a continuation of the same goals the U.S. 
has supported since Plan Colombia,s inception in 2000.  The 
programs and projected costs of this next phase of Plan 
Colombia are under discussion. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Drug Eradication and Interdiction 
--------------------------------- 
 
4.  (SBU) Eradication and interdiction are at record levels. 
The aerial eradication program sprayed over 140,000 hectares 
of coca and opium poppy in 2005 and has sprayed more than 
80,000 of coca and 231 of poppy as of June 15, 2006.  The 
program surpassed its 2005 goal of 130,000 total hectares, 
but did not reach its stated goal of 3,000 hectares of poppy. 
 Eradication pilots are having a hard time locating poppy 
crops, despite devoting more spray weeks to opium. 
 
5.  (SBU) The GOC asserts that it manually eradicated an 
additional 32,000 hectares of coca in 2005.  Manual 
eradication is a high-cost, high-risk program that combines 
illicit crop eradication with job creation, and finesses the 
health and environmental controversies surrounding aerial 
eradication.  President Uribe is a proponent of manual 
eradication. He launched an ambitious program in January to 
manually eradicate coca in La Macarena National Park.  The 
Embassy is offering support for this effort, but three FARC 
attacks killed 12 policemen and civilian eradicators in 
February and March.  The GOC claims to have manually 
eradicated over 9,300 hectares of coca and 52 of poppy as of 
June 15, 2006. 
 
6.  (SBU) Interdiction operations in 2005 met or exceeded 
2004,s record seizures.  GOC security forces destroyed 134 
cocaine HCl processing laboratories in 2005 and seized record 
amounts of processed cocaine (179 metric tons) and coca base. 
 Colombian National Police (CNP) interdiction units are also 
concentrating on capturing high value leadership targets of 
the FARC, ELN, and AUC, and have had several successes in 
seizing secondary leaders. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
U.S. Assistance to Development and Democracy Building 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
7.  (U) The USAID Mission in Colombia continues to fund 
programs in three key strategic sectors.  USAID,s Democratic 
Governance programs aim to improve the transparency of the 
justice system, assist the peace process, promote respect for 
human rights, support democratic processes and foster 
efficiency and accountability.  USAID programs also promote 
legal alternative development opportunities through increased 
competitiveness, improved local government infrastructure and 
management, and a more favorable environment for investment 
and trade.  Colombia has the third largest population of 
internally displaced persons.  USAID has provided support to 
nearly 2.5 million Colombians displaced by internal violence. 
 As part of its efforts to assist the displaced and 
vulnerable, USAID supports children who have been forced to 
serve as child combatants. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
Military Justice and Improved Human Rights Record 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
8.  (SBU) The Uribe Administration continues to make steady 
progress on human rights cases involving military abuse or 
collaboration with paramilitaries.  We continually emphasize 
the importance of creating a system that delivers credible 
findings to ensure expeditious justice for both the innocent 
and the guilty.  In April 2005, Military Penal Justice 
Director General Puentes submitted a comprehensive military 
justice reform package, both for expediting case processing 
and converting to an accusatory system; congressional 
approval is pending.  A recent incident in which Colombian 
army soldiers allegedly killed 10 members of an elite 
judicial police squadron in Jamundi, Valle Department 
provoked a GOC proposal for even more radical reform, 
transferring investigative power to the civilian Prosecutor 
General (details of this plan are scheduled for release in 
July). 
 
9.  (U) Human rights training is mandatory for all members of 
the military and police.  Less than two percent of human 
rights violations are attributable to government security 
forces, according to GOC statistics.  Other indicia support 
the general improvement in Colombia,s human rights record. 
Homicides fell by 16 percent - to the lowest level in 18 
years - kidnappings by 62 percent, and forced displacements 
by 27 percent in 2005, building on trends from previous 
years.  The GOC has an active dialogue with NGOs, the United 
Nations, and foreign governments. 
 
----------- 
Extradition 
----------- 
 
10.  (SBU) President Uribe is a strong supporter of the 
U.S.-Colombia extradition relationship.  Since taking office, 
he has approved more than 350 extraditions of criminals to 
the United States.  In 2005, Uribe suspended the extradition 
of two AUC leaders, Don Berna and Salvatore Mancuso, to 
ensure continued AUC demobilization. 
 
-------------------------------- 
Demobilization and Peace Process 
-------------------------------- 
 
11.  (SBU) The GOC began negotiations with the United 
Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) in 2002.  The AUC 
demobilization process is drawing to a close and nearly all 
AUC members (more than 30,000) have demobilized since 2003. 
The last two groups are expected to demobilize in July.  A 
few, small groups have opted not to participate in the 
demobilization and will not be eligible to participate in GOC 
reinsertion programs or for alternative penalties.  Over 
10,000 illegal armed group members (from the FARC, ELN and 
AUC) have individually deserted and entered the government's 
reinsertion program since 2002.  The program has limited 
funding and logistical problems, but is slowly improving. 
Colombia has requested U.S. aid for the demobilization and 
reinsertion process.  The Department is currently in 
discussions with Congress on offering direct U.S. financial 
support for demobilization.  The USG has also demarched 
numerous allies, with some success, to financially support 
these processes. 
 
12.  (SBU) President Uribe signed the Justice and Peace Law, 
which governs demobilization for ex-paramilitaries, in July 
2005.  The Law offers demobilized terrorists up to a 
eight-year sentence, followed by two-and-a-half to four-year 
parole period, but only if they fully demobilize, turn over 
all assets, release all hostages and child soldiers, and give 
reparations (actual or symbolic) to victims.  Individuals or 
groups organized for drug trafficking or illicit enrichment 
are not eligible for reduced sentences and only crimes 
committed during membership in, and the service of, the 
illegal armed group are eligible.  Rigorous implementation of 
the Law is key to ensuring both peace and justice in Colombia. 
 
13.  (SBU) The National Liberation Army (ELN) began 
preliminary discussions with the GOC in Cuba in December 2005 
aimed at laying the groundwork for peace talks.  A second 
round of these talks took place in February and a third in 
April; a fourth round is scheduled for August.  Since his 
re-election, Uribe has again raised the possibility of a 
humanitarian exchange of prisoners with the FARC.  In recent 
weeks, the FARC has shown some interest in such an exchange, 
but it remains to be seen if they will follow through, 
especially after declaring in early 2006 that they would not 
work with Uribe if re-elected. 
 
------------- 
 
U.S. Hostages 
------------- 
 
14.  (SBU) The three U.S. contractors captured by the FARC in 
February 2003 are now the longest held U.S. political 
hostages in the world.  Their safe release continues to be 
one of our top priorities.  The Colombians are providing full 
assistance.  Uribe has assured us that the U.S. hostages will 
be included in any humanitarian exchange.  The FARC, too, has 
included the U.S. hostages when addressing the possibility of 
an exchange.  The Embassy held a commemoration ceremony on 
February 13, marking the third anniversary of their capture. 
 
------------------------- 
Positive Economic Outlook 
------------------------- 
 
15.  (U) Tremendous gains in security have helped the 
Colombian economy.  In 2005, Colombia's gross domestic 
product (GDP) increased by 5.2 percent.  Inflation was 4.86 
percent, the lowest in 50 years.  Foreign Direct Investment 
increased to 5.6 billion, an increase of 50 percent over 
2004.  The largest U.S. investors, Drummond (coal) and 
ChevronTexaco and ExxonMobil, are in the hydrocarbons sector 
and each is planning considerable expansion due to the 
improved investment climate.  Colombia,s exports and imports 
each increased more than 20 percent in 2005, and the U.S. is 
Colombia,s largest trade partner (approximately 40 percent 
of exports and 35 percent of imports).  Colombian exports to 
the U.S. have increased approximately USD 1 billion per year 
since ATPDEA inception in late 2002, while U.S. exports to 
Colombia increased approximately USD 2 billion since ATPDEA. 
Unemployment decreased from approximately 18 percent when 
President Uribe took office to slightly over 12 percent in 
April 2006.  These positive numbers have prompted the major 
rating agencies to upgrade Colombia to just below investment 
grade. 
 
16.  (SBU) Free Trade Agreement negotiations between the U.S. 
and Colombia concluded in February.  The agreement will 
provide stronger IP protection, a stronger investment 
climate, and give increased market access to key U.S. 
industrial and agricultural exports.  For Colombia, the 
agreement consolidates ATPDEA benefits, increases their sugar 
quota, and addresses some of their concerns regarding 
sanitary and phyto-sanitary barriers without giving the U.S. 
any new commitments in this area. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
Regional Issues: Venezuela and Ecuador 
-------------------------------------- 
 
17. (SBU) Venezuela is Colombia's largest trading partner and 
the two nations, despite differing political approaches, 
appear committed to maintaining a cordial working 
relationship. 
 
18.  (SBU) Colombia and Ecuador continue to grapple with the 
FARC's presence in Ecuador and the number of Colombians 
residing there.  In late January, the Colombian military 
entered Ecuadorian territory while pursuing the FARC.  The 
Government of Ecuador (GOE) demanded an apology, which the 
GOC provided, despite frustration with the lack of Ecuadorian 
cooperation against the FARC.  The apology eased tensions, 
but not completely.  A second GOC incursion into Ecuadorian 
territory alleged to have occurred in late March may be the 
catalyst for closer cooperation between the two countries on 
the FARC and border security.  The GOE's international 
efforts to end aerial eradication along the two countries' 
shared border is increasingly of concern to the USG and 
places additional stress on the Colombia-Ecuador relationship. 
WOOD