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Viewing cable 07BOGOTA6200, VISIT OF HDAC COMMITTEE, AUGUST 27-31, 2007

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07BOGOTA6200 2007-08-23 20:46 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Bogota
VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #6200/01 2352046
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 232046Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8316
UNCLAS BOGOTA 006200 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
H FOR CONGRESSMAN DAVID PRICE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM ECON ETRD OVIP OTRA PGOV PREL CO
SUBJECT: VISIT OF HDAC COMMITTEE, AUGUST 27-31, 2007 
 
-------- 
Summary 
-------- 
1. (SBU) Colombia's congress passed President Uribe,s top 
legislative priorities in its latest session, and its members 
look forward to developing institutional ties with the U.S. 
Congress.  Security has markedly improved with successful 
military efforts to re-take areas controlled by the 
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) over the last 
five years.  Improved security helped lift the Colombian 
economy to record growth in the first quarter of 2007.  The 
Uribe Administration seeks U.S. Congressional support for the 
U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (CTPA) which 
President Uribe considers key to spur economic growth, 
attract international investors, and boost revenues to fund 
social programs and the fight against narco-terrorism. 
Eradication of coca and poppy crops and interdiction of 
cocaine and heroin have reached record levels, but Colombia 
remains the main supplier of cocaine to the United States. 
Since taking office, President Uribe has approved well over 
500 extraditions to the United States. 
 
2.  (SBU)  In January, the GOC presented a Plan Colombia 
consolidation strategy with increased emphasis on social 
development and territorial control.  Trade unionists 
continue to suffer from violence, but the number of unionists 
killed fell by over 60 percent from 2002-2006.  The GOC also 
continues to make progress on human rights cases.  Over 
32,000 paramilitaries have demobilized since 2002, and a 
further 11,000 have deserted from all illegal armed groups 
(about half from the FARC).  The release of the three U.S. 
contractors captured by the FARC in February 2003, the 
longest held U.S. hostages in the world, is a top priority. 
End Summary. 
 
------------------ 
Colombian Congress 
------------------ 
 
3. (U)  Your visit will demonstrate our broad engagement with 
Colombia, and serve as recognition of the country's strong, 
independent institutions.  Colombia's bicameral congress is 
composed of 102 nationally elected Senate members and 166 
House members ("Deputies") who are elected from party lists 
in each department.  The Congress has a functional committee 
structure with seven standing committees in the Senate and 
House.  House committees have 18-33 members and Senate 
committees have 13-19 members.  Parties supporting President 
Uribe have a majority in both the Senate and House.  The 
opposition left-of center Polo Democratico party and the 
traditional Liberal party play an important role, by ensuring 
Congress debates controversial issues fully. 
 
4.  (U)  The 1991 Constitution made Congress a more important 
player in the policy-making process by limiting the 
president's power to issue decrees, demand urgent 
consideration of legislation, and declare states of 
emergency.  The veto override margin was reduced from 
two-thirds of Congress to a simple majority.  A new party 
reform law ("Ley de Bancadas" ) attempts to increase party 
discipline by requiring that members vote with their parties 
except on votes of conscience.  Still, Congress is weakened 
by the large number of parties (a 2003 political party reform 
law effectively reduced the number of parties from 60 to 
about ten by requiring a minimum threshold of votes to gain a 
seat in Congress), infrequency of roll-calls, and annual 
party leadership rotations. 
 
5.  (U)  During its February-June session, Congress passed 
the president's top legislative priorities, including the 
U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (CTPA), a National 
Development Plan for 2006-2010, and a critical bill reforming 
federal and state revenue sharing.  The reform bill, 
considered key to the government's long-term fiscal health, 
was highly unpopular and generated numerous protests.  Its 
passage represented a major victory for President Uribe. 
Legislators have now focused on upcoming local elections in 
October.  Significant legislation before the elections 
appears unlikely. 
 
6.  (U)  Public approval of Congress has declined as a result 
of the parapolitical scandal:  so far, fourteen 
congresspersons are in jail for para-links, and another 
fifteen are under investigation.  Public approval of 
Congress, traditionally relatively high for Latin America, 
has dropped from 55 percent in mid 2006 to about 35 percent 
in recent polling due to the para-scandal. 
 
-------------------- 
GOC Security Outlook 
-------------------- 
 
7.  (SBU)  USG security assistance combats drug trafficking 
and terrorism and includes training, material aid, and 
technical assistance to security forces and other 
institutions.  The U.S. is Colombia's most important ally and 
President Uribe appreciates that his government's 
achievements on security would not have been possible without 
U.S. help. 
 
8.  (SBU)  The increased military effort to establish 
Colombian government control in areas dominated by the FARC 
has been successful over the last five years.  The FARC has 
failed in its efforts to mount a major attack against Bogota 
and its environs since November 2003, although they have 
tried repeatedly.  The military now operates in the historic 
heartland of the FARC and in the main coca growing regions in 
the country.  Landmines, disease, logistic issues, limited 
airlift, and distance, and difficult terrain all restrain the 
public forces, but they are making progress.  Nevertheless, 
the FARC can launch attacks on isolated or smaller government 
targets. 
 
9. (SBU)  With USG support, the GOC formed in 2005 an 
interagency body, the Center for Coordinated Integral Action 
(CCAI), to link the delivery of social services and 
establishment of a civilian presence to military efforts. 
CCAI delivers social services in nine key areas, with a 
combined population of almost two million, that traditionally 
fell under the control of illegal armed groups.  The Center 
provides immediate social services once the Colombian 
government has secured an area. 
 
------------------------- 
Fighting Narcotrafficking 
------------------------- 
 
10. (SBU)  President Uribe is committed to defeating 
narcotrafficking, and the GOC has invested substantial 
resources in this effort.  The eradication of coca and poppy 
fields and the interdiction of cocaine and heroin reached 
record levels in 2006.  The GOC is increasing its manual 
eradication program, but understands manual eradication 
cannot replace aerial spraying.  The GOC seeks a 
complementary approach using both methods.  Security forces 
seized a near-record 203 metric tons of cocaine and coca base 
in 2006, and destroyed a record 200 cocaine laboratories.  We 
are working with the GOC to refine the eradication strategy 
and determine how to transfer key tasks from the USG to the 
GOC.  The GOC is also fighting narcotrafficking through 
extradition.  President Uribe has approved over 500 
extraditions to the United States, including 87 cases so far 
in 2007.  Colombia remains the main supplier of cocaine to 
the United States, but eradication and seizures have taken 
some USD 400 million out of the hands of the FARC and 
Colombian mafias. 
 
------------------------ 
Plan Colombia Next Steps 
------------------------ 
 
11. (SBU)  In January, the GOC presented a Plan Colombia 
consolidation strategy.  The proposal contains a heightened 
emphasis on social development, assigning new resources to 
consolidate governance, promote human rights, and to help 
displaced people, Afro-Colombian, and indigenous communities. 
 It also aims to reintegrate 42,000 demobilized ex-combatants 
and deserters and to promote Colombia's licit exports.  The 
GOC seeks funding from the United States and European 
countries to support the consolidation strategy. 
 
12. (U)  Increased emphasis on social development dovetails 
with USAID programs.  USAID currently funds programs in four 
key strategic sectors in Colombia: alternative development 
and economic policy reform; justice reform, human rights and 
strengthening governance; demobilization and reintegration of 
illegal armed groups, and; assistance to internally displaced 
persons (Colombia has between 2 and 3 million displaced 
persons), Afro-Colombians and other vulnerable populations. 
 
------------------------- 
Positive Economic Outlook 
------------------------- 
 
13. (U)  Improved security helped boost the Colombian 
economy.  2006 GDP growth was 6.8 percent, while 2007 first 
quarter growth reached 8.1 percent, the highest in Colombian 
history.  Both exports and imports grew more than 20 percent 
in 2006.  The United States remains Colombia's largest trade 
partner (approximately 40 percent of exports and 28 percent 
of imports).  Colombian exports to the U.S. have grown USD 1 
billion per year since the inception of the Andean Trade 
Preferences and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) in late 2002; 
U.S. exports to Colombia increased approximately USD 2 
billion.  The largest U.S. investors -- Drummond (coal), 
ChevronTexaco and ExxonMobil -- plan considerable expansion 
due to the improved investment climate and security 
situation.  Foreign Direct Investment increased to USD 8.9 
billion in 2006, quadruple the FDI in 2002. 
 
14. (SBU)  The CTPA remains the GOC's highest economic 
priority.  The Colombian Congress approved the CTPA in June. 
The Uribe administration introduced the modification protocol 
signed in June in the Colombian Congress on July 20.  GOC 
officials expect to vote on the protocol in October.  The 
U.S. Congress has extended trade preferences for Colombian 
exporters under the Andean Trade Preferences Act (ATPA), the 
successor to the ATPDEA, through February 2008.  The 
Colombian government will seek your guidance on next steps to 
help it achieve ratification of the CTPA in the U.S. 
Congress. 
 
----- 
Labor 
----- 
 
15. (U)  Trade unionists continue to be victims of violence, 
but the number of unionists killed fell by over 60 percent 
from 2002-2006.  This drop reflects the GOC,s success in 
reducing violence across the country (overall homicides fell 
by over 40 percent during the same period), as well as 
increased funding for special protection programs for 
unionists, human rights activists, journalists, and other 
threatened groups.  The GOC's Protection Program assisted 
over 10,000 people, including unionists, in 2006.  The GOC 
expects to spend some USD 34 million on protection in 2007. 
The Prosecutor General's human rights unit is investigating 
204 priority labor violence cases.  The GOC will add USD 40 
million to its 2008 budget to add nearly 500 prosecutors, 
staff and investigators to working labor cases and other 
human rights cases. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
Military Justice and Improved Human Rights Record 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
16. (SBU)  The Uribe Administration continues to make slow 
progress on human rights cases involving military abuse or 
collaboration with paramilitaries.  Minister of Defense 
Santos has identified military justice reform as a top 
priority; in October, he named the first civilian -- and the 
first woman -- as director of the Military Criminal Justice 
System.  Santos also recently set up a high-level commission 
to address a troubling up-tick in alleged extrajudicial 
killings by the military.  Human rights training is mandatory 
for all members of the military and police. 
 
-------------------------------- 
Demobilization and Peace Process 
-------------------------------- 
 
17. (SBU)  Over 32,000 former paramilitaries have demobilized 
since 2002, and a further 11,000 have deserted from all 
illegal armed groups (about half from the FARC).  FARC 
desertions increased significantly in 2007.  The GOC has 
developed a reintegration program to meet the demobilized 
needs -- the largest such reintegration program ever 
attempted.  The effort continues while the GOC battles the 
FARC and ELN.  A small percentage of renegade paramilitaries 
have joined new criminal groups, which have shed all 
political pretensions to focus on drug trafficking, 
racketeering, and other crimes.  Job creation is a priority, 
but many of the demobilized have few employable skills and 
need intense psycho-social and vocational training before 
 
they can enter the labor force. 
 
18. (SBU)  The Justice and Peace Law process -- which 
provides reduced 5-8 year sentences for paramilitaries guilty 
of human rights abuses in exchange for truth and reparations 
-- is exposing the full extent of paramilitary penetration of 
Colombian society and government.  It has helped solve over 
200 murders and led to the exhumation of over 800 bodies of 
paramilitary victims.  President Uribe strongly supports the 
Justice and Peace process, as well as the Supreme Court's 
investigations into links between paramilitaries and 
legislators. 
 
19. (SBU)  The smaller National Liberation Army (ELN) has 
negotiated with the GOC in Cuba for two years without 
success.  Talks have stalled largely because the ELN 
overestimates its leverage, insisting on substantive 
political reforms (rejection of FTA, greater regional 
autonomy, etc.) that are unacceptable to the GOC. The ELN 
also rejects GOC terms for cease-fire monitoring and hostage 
release verification.  The ELN continues to kidnap victims to 
finance its operations, but their military capability has 
been sharply degraded.  The FARC had refused to engage in any 
meaningful peace talks, and recently killed eleven state 
legislators that had been held hostage for five years. 
President Uribe recently authorized opposition Senator Piedad 
Cordoba to serve as a go-between with the FARC.  Cordoba took 
a group of relatives of FARC-held hostages to Caracas to meet 
with President Chavez.  Chavez offered to act as an "observer 
and guarantor" for a humanitarian exchange of FARC-held 
hostages for FARC terrorists held by the GOC, and suggested 
Venezuela as a possible site for talks. 
 
------------- 
U.S. Hostages 
------------- 
 
20. (SBU)  The three U.S. contractors captured by the FARC in 
February 2003 remain the longest held U.S. hostages in the 
world.  Their safe release remains a top priority.  The 
Colombian government continues to provide full assistance. 
President Uribe has assured us that the U.S. hostages will be 
included in any humanitarian exchange. 
 
Nichols