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### Viewing cable 06BOGOTA10114, U/S BURNS' OCTOBER 25 LUNCH MEETING WITH COLOMBIAN

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
06BOGOTA10114 | 2006-11-01 15:52 | 2011-02-23 06:30 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Bogota

`

    VZCZCXRO6486
    OO RUEHAO RUEHCD RUEHGA RUEHGD RUEHHA RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL
    RUEHQU RUEHRD RUEHRG RUEHRS RUEHTM RUEHVC
    DE RUEHBO #0114/01 3051552
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    O 011552Z NOV 06
    FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0384
    INFO RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 010114

    SIPDIS

    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2016
    TAGS: KJUS PGOV PHUM PREL PTER CO
    SUBJECT: U/S BURNS' OCTOBER 25 LUNCH MEETING WITH COLOMBIAN
    OPINION MAKERS

    Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Milton K. Drucker
    Reason: 1.5 (b,d)

    ¶1. (U) October 25, 2006; 1400PM.

    ¶2. (U) Participants:

    U.S.

    Under Secretary Burns
    A/S for WHA Thomas P. Shannon
    Ambassador William B. Wood
    Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mary Lee Warren
    DCM Milton Drucker
    Daniel Tomlinson, NSC
    Attorney Advisor Patricia Prugh, L
    Political Counselor John Creamer
    P Special Assistant HeideBronke
    Political Officer Stacy Pearce (notetaker)

    COLOMBIA

    RhettDoumitt, AFL-CIO Solidarity Center
    Alvaro Forero, Forero Associates
    Mauricio Garcia, CINEP
    Sergio Jaramillo Caro, Ideas forPeaceFoundation
    Jorge Alberto JulianLondono de la Cuesta, Gallup
    Colombia/Invamer Ltda.
    Rodrigo Saiz Silva, AKIRIS de Colombia
    Enrique Santos, Director of El Tiempo newspaper and a member
    of the family that owns the paper.
    Miguel Silva, Gravitas Ltda.
    Leon Valencia, New Rainbow Foundation

    -------
    Summary
    -------

    ¶3. (C) U/S Burns reiterated U.S. support for Plan Colombia
    Consolidation with key opinion makers, but said some in the
    U.S. Congress and human rights NGOs advocated stronger
    punishment for demobilized paramilitaries.  Colombian
    attendees differed on top priorities: some said Colombia's
    greatest challenge was bringing ex-paramilitaries to justice;
    others insisted Colombians' highest priorities were citizen
    security and economic growth.  The opinion makers voiced
    concern that the GOC would divert new tax revenues from
    programs required to consolidate recent security gains toward
    matching Venezuela's on-going arms-build-up.  WHA A/S Shannon
    said it would be a mistake for Colombia to play into Chavez's
    hands.  End Summary.

    --------------------------------------------- --------
    Continued Support for Plan Colombia and U.S. Concerns
    --------------------------------------------- --------

    ¶4. (C) In a lunch with Colombian opinion makers, U/S Burns
    said the U.S. was looking to extend Plan Colombia, support
    the Justice and Peace Law, and cooperate on defense.  The GOC
    needed to improve its human rights record, with a focus on
    investigating and punishing security personnel involved in
    human rights abuses.  U/S Burns noted some in the U.S.
    Congress and human rights groups were critical of the GOC's
    peace process with recently demobilized paramilitary groups,
    saying the GOC was too light on justice compared with
    experiences in Bosnia, Rwanda and elsewhere.  U.S. human
    rights groups told him ex-combatants would not be punished
    for their crimes and complained conditions of confinement for
    ex-paramilitaries were too luxurious.

    ----------------------------
    Colombians Differ on Justice
    ----------------------------

    ¶5. (C) Sergio Jaramillo (soon to be Vice Minister of Defense)
    said there was room for improvement with the Justice and
    Peace Law but stressed that the paramilitary process had
    sharply reduced the number of atrocities.  Many Colombians
    were alive today thanks to the process.  Jesuit priest
    Mauricio Garcia voiced concern that many paramilitaries had
    not, in fact, demobilized in much of the country and were
    continuingnarcotrafficking activities.  He said the GOC
    needed to focus not only on strengthening the military but on
    improving living conditions and creating economic
    opportunities for the country's poor majority if lasting
    peace was to be achieved.

    ¶6. (C) Pollster Jorge Londono said justice ranked well below
    security and economic growth as key citizen priorities in
    public opinion polls.  He said that in 1999 60% of Colombians
    thought the FARC would defeat the GOC, a figure which had
    dropped to 20%.  Confidence in all government institutions

    BOGOTA 00010114  002 OF 002

    was on the rise, with the exception of the justice system.
    He  said 70% of Colombians feel safer today than a year ago,
    and 80% support the Justice and Peace Law.  Most Colombians
    polled consistently say they give more importance to
    achieving lasting peace than to bringing terrorists to
    justice.  Consultant Miguel Silva cautioned, however, that
    achieving a durable peace would be impossible withouQending
    impunity for human rights abusers.

    -------------------------------------------
    State Security and Colombia's Regional Role
    -------------------------------------------

    ¶7. (C) El Tiempo editor-in-chief Enrique Santos said it was
    important for the GOC to link the fight against
    narcotrafficking to overall state security. The GOC had been
    able to defeat the Medellin and Cali cartels only after the
    Colombian people had understood that the violence generated
    bynarcotraffickers threatened them all.  Many Colombians
    remembered the indiscriminate violence perpetrated by Pablo
    Escobar, and feared the FARC might do the same.  A/S Shannon
    said the U.S. was committed to helping Colombia win its fight
    againstnarco-terrorism.

    ----------------------
    Venezuela Arms Buildup
    ----------------------

    ¶8. (C) Santos supported a GOC proposal to boost wealth taxes
    but voiced concern that the GOC would use the increased
    revenues to fund an arms race with Venezuela instead of
    programs to consolidate recent internal security gains.
    Shannon said it would be a strategic mistake for the GOC to
    engage in a regional arms race.  He added it would play into
    Venezuela's hands and result in less money for important
    security, economic, and social programs in Colombia.  Shannon
    concluded it was important for the GOC to focus on the real
    issues facing Colombia (security and economic growth);
    Venezuela's arms build-up required a regional diplomatic
    response, not a military approach.

    ¶9. (U) This cable has been cleared by U/S Burns.

    DRUCKER

`