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Viewing cable 08BOGOTA3580, QUARTERLY HUMAN RIGHTS CERTIFICATION CONSULTATION

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08BOGOTA3580 2008-09-23 22:58 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Bogota
VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #3580/01 2672258
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 232258Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4898
INFO RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 1051
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ SEP 9675
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 6582
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 7259
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 4593
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAWJC/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS BOGOTA 003580 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KJUS CO
SUBJECT: QUARTERLY HUMAN RIGHTS CERTIFICATION CONSULTATION 
FOCUSES ON NEW CRIMINAL GROUPS/PARAMILITARIES 
 
 1.  Summary: Post's quarterly human rights consultations 
focused on new criminal groups and so-called paramilitary 
structures.  Many participants asserted that the armed 
criminal groups which continue to operate in many areas 
represent a continuation of the former paramilitary blocks. 
Others contended that with a few exceptions, the new groups 
lack the military structure, capability, and ostensible 
counterinsurgency purpose that characterized the 
paramilitaries. The new groups largely focus on 
narcotrafficking, extortion, and other crimes and should be 
seen as organized crime.  Still, all agreed that whatever the 
label, the groups corrupt local institutions and businesses, 
harm local residents, and in some instances target civil 
society leaders.  The International Crisis Group (ICG) 
recognized that the GOC has taken steps to combat the groups, 
but said it needs to devote more police resources against 
criminal leaders and local corruption. The Colectivo de 
Abogados said the GOC should use the Justice and Peace Law 
(JPL) process to aggressively pursue the economic and 
political supporters of the former paramilitaries.  End 
Summary 
 
2.  On September 10, we hosted our quarterly consultations 
with human rights groups, focusing on new criminal groups and 
paramilitaries.   Attendees included: Mauricio Albarracin of 
Comision Colombiana de Juristas (CCJ),Markus Schultz Kraft of 
the International Crisis Group (ICG), Agustin Jimenez of the 
Committee in Solidarity with Political Prisoners (CSPP), 
Alberto Yepes of Coordinacion Colombia Europea,  Rafael 
Barrios of Colectivo de Abogados, Gloria Flores of Asociacion 
para la Promocion Social Alternativa (MINGA), Luz Stella 
Aponte of Fundacion Reiniciar, Yimi Munoz of Comision de 
Justicia yPaz, Mario Gomez of Fundacion Restrepo Barco, 
Geilar Romana of Asociacion de Afrocolombianos Desplazados 
(AFRODES), and Carlos Garaviz of the Jesuit-run Centro de 
Investigacion y Educacion Popular (CINEP). 
 
 
PARAMILITARIES VERSUS NEW CRIMINAL GROUPS 
----------------------------------------- 
 
3.  Several participants, including CINEP's Carlos Garaviz 
and CSPP's Agustin Jimenez, asserted that the armed criminal 
groups that continue to operate in many areas represent a 
continuation of the previous paramilitary structures. 
Garaviz noted that Daniel Rendon (Don Mario), a major 
narcotrafficker in Antioquia and Cordoba departments, is a 
former paramilitary and controls the same territory 
previously dominated by the Elmer Cardenas Block.  Jimenez 
claimed that, like the former paramilitaries, the new groups 
corrupt democratic institutions and attack political 
opposition leaders, unionists, and human rights defenders. 
He added that in many areas, the new groups advance the same 
economic and political interests that supported the 
paramilitaries.  Afrodes' Geiler Romana noted that in 
Jiguamiando and Curvarado in Choco department, armed groups 
defend the same African palm companies that were protected by 
the paras.  Jimenez added that in departments such as Meta, 
the Santanders, and Antioquia, the new groups receive 
substantial support from GOC security forces. 
 
4. ICG's Markus Schultz Kraft agreed many criminal groups 
continue the same activities as the former paramilitaries. 
He proposed four criteria to determine if a new group should 
be viewed as a paramilitary force or as a form of organized 
crime:  support from local security forces; ties to local 
political and economic elites; participation by former 
paramilitaries in leadership posts and other key roles; and 
ties to narcotraffickers and other organized criminal groups. 
 Schultz Kraft noted that in some regions, local security 
forces continue to use the criminal groups to combat the 
FARC, ELN, and other criminal groups.  Still, in contrast to 
the former paramilitaries, many new criminal groups also 
cooperate with the FARC and ELN on drug shipments and coca 
cultivation. 
 
5.  Fundacion Restrepo Barco representative Mario Gomez 
doubted that the new criminal groups should be considered 
paramilitaries, noting that they lack the military structure, 
armed capacity, and counterinsurgency agenda that 
characterized the former United Self-Defense Forces of 
Colombia (AUC).  He said that after the paramilitary 
 
demobilization, civilian deaths fell sharply in regions where 
the AUC was present. The new groups operate in many of the 
same areas as the AUC because that is where the coca is, 
Gomez declared. 
 
SIZE, IMPACT ON INSTITUTIONS AND CIVILIANS 
------------------------------------------ 
6.  Alberto Yepes of Coordinacion Colombia Europea claimed 
that so-called paramilitary groups number between 6500-10,000 
members and operate in 24 departments.   He alleged that Don 
Mario maintains 3000 armed men in Cordoba, Antioquia, and 
Choco, while Pedro Guerrero (Cuchillo) has a similar force in 
Meta.  Both operate extensive narcotrafficking networks, 
exercise control over local residents, and benefit from 
collusion with security and municipal officials.  Yepes said 
the "Aguilas Negras" criminal group is a major problem in 
Bogota, Barranquilla, Barrancabermeja, Curvarado, and parts 
of Valle de Cauca. MINGA's Gloria Florez voiced concern that 
so-called paramilitaries are acquiring significant political 
and economic influence through their penetration of legal 
businesses.  She said the groups also dominate pyramid 
financial schemes, gambling, and other quasi-legal 
activities.  Luz Aponte of Reiniciar cited Don Mario's 
penetration of the Medellin Prosecutor General's Office 
(Fiscalia) as an example of so-called paramilitary groups' 
continued influence. 
 
GOC RESPONSE 
------------ 
 
7.  Schultz Kraft acknowledged that the GOC has scored some 
important successes against the new criminal groups, but 
called the overall GOC response inadequate. The GOC needs to 
dedicate increased police resources to the pursuit of new 
criminal groups leaders, and should also initiate more 
programs to combat corruption in local institutions.  Florez 
and Jimenez questioned the GOC's commitment to fighting the 
new groups, citing the GOC's failure to investigate the major 
economic and political supporters of the AUC.  Jimenez 
charged that the economic and financial networks that 
sustained the AUC continue to operate through the new groups, 
and called for international pressure to push the GOC to 
investigate and dismantle these networks.  Florez said the 
Fiscalia needs to be more aggressive in following up on the 
testimony provided by paramilitaries participating in the 
Justice and Peace Law process. 
 
8.  Victims' rights advocate Yimi Munoz complained that the 
Ministry of Interior and Justice only extends its protection 
program to individuals threatened by the FARC, ELN, and 
paramilitary groups.  It does not include individuals 
threatened by criminal groups, unless they are also 
witnesses.  All groups urged that the MOIJ program be 
extended to any at-risk individual. (We subsequently 
confirmed with MOIJ Director of Protection Program Rafael 
Bustamente Cruz that individuals threatened by criminal 
groups are already included in its program). 
BROWNFIELD