FARC RESISTS RE-STARTING TALKS/SLAMS U.N.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 010584



E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/11

TAGS: PTER, PREL, PGOV, CO

SUBJ: FARC RESISTS RE-STARTING TALKS/SLAMS U.N.



1. CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR ANNE W. PATTERSON; REASONS

1.5 B,D.



2. (C) SUMMARY: DESPITE A SERIES OF ATTEMPTS SINCE MID-

NOVEMBER BY UNSYG OUTGOING REPRESENTATIVE JAN EGELAND,

GOC PEACE COMMISSIONER CAMILO GOMEZ, AND AMBASSADORS FROM

THE "GROUP OF FACILITATORS" COUNTRIES TO RE-START PEACE

TALKS WITH THE FARC, THE LATTER REMAIN INTRANSIGENT IN

THEIR DEMANDS. THE FARC LEADERSHIP HAS STATED REPEATEDLY

THAT THEY WILL NOT NEGOTIATE UNTIL THE GOC RELAXES ITS

CONTROLS OVER THE "DESPEJE," ESPECIALLY THE ENTRY OF

THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS SYMPATHETIC TO THE FARC AND

COLOMBIAN MILITARY OVERFLIGHTS. FARC SUPREME COMMANDER

MARULANDA HAS INVITED COLOMBIAN POLITICAL, JUDICIAL AND

BUSINESS LEADERS TO A JANUARY 15, 2001 MEETING IN THE

"DESPEJE" TO CLARIFY WHAT THE COLOMBIAN ESTABLISHMENT IS

WILLING TO NEGOTIATE. END SUMMARY.



3. (U) ON NOVEMBER 26, FARC SUPREME COMMANDER MANUEL

MARULANDA SENT A LETTER THROUGH GOC PEACE COMMISSIONER

CAMILO GOMEZ TO PRESIDENT PASTRANA, IN WHICH HE ARGUES

THAT THE GOC HAS TAKEN ALL CONCRETE "NEGOTIABLES" OFF THE

TABLE, INCLUDING PLAN COLOMBIA, AERIAL ERADICATION OF

ILLICIT CROPS, THE ELECTORAL CALENDAR, PRISONER

EXCHANGES, AND INTERNATIONAL TREATIES SUBSCRIBED BY

COLOMBIA ON ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, JUDICIAL ISSUES, AND

EXTRADITION.



4. (U) MARULANDA CONCLUDES THAT THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO

NEGOTIATE WITH THE GOC, AND CALLS FOR A MEETING ON

JANUARY 15, 2002 IN THE FARC "DEMILITARIZED ZONE"

("DESPEJE") WITH THE SENATE AND HOUSE SPEAKERS, THE

SUPREME AND CONSTITUTIONAL COURT PRESIDENTS, THE CHAMBERS

OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY PRESIDENTS, AND THE CATHOLIC

CHURCH HIERARCHY. HE STATED HE EXPECTS THIS GROUP TO

EXPLAIN TO HIM "EXACTLY WHAT IS NEGOTIABLE."



5. (U) MARULANDA'S LETTER FOLLOWS A SERIES OF LARGELY

UNSUCCESSFUL MEETINGS IN THE "DESPEJE" WITH UNSYG

COLOMBIA REPRESENTATIVE JAN EGELAND, GOC PEACE

COMMISSIONER CAMILO GOMEZ, AND EU AND INTERNATIONAL

COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS, RESPECTIVELY. ON NOVEMBER 16, THE

FARC REFUSED JAN EGELAND'S REQUEST TO MEET IN THE

DESPEJE. INSTEAD, FARC SPOKESMAN RAUL REYES SENT EGELAND

A LETTER STATING THAT EGELAND WOULD NOT BE GIVEN AN

AUDIENCE UNTIL THE GOC LIFTED AN ORDER PROHIBITING FREE

ENTRY OF THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS INTO THE DESPEJE AS WELL

AS OTHER RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF THE ZONE.



6. (C) SEVERAL DAYS LATER, THE FARC CHANGED ITS MIND AND

MET ON NOVEMBER 22 WITH EGELAND AND NEWLY-DESIGNATED

UNSYG COLOMBIA REPRESENTATIVE JAMES LEMOYNE IN THE

"DESPEJE." ALTHOUGH EGELAND TOLD LOCAL PRESS THAT BOTH

SIDES STILL HAVE THE WILL TO MOVE THE PROCESS FORWARD,

EMBASSY CONTACTS SAID THAT THE MEETING WAS DIFFICULT AT

BEST, AND THAT FARC INTERLOCUTORS RAUL REYES AND JOAQUIN

GOMEZ TOLD EGELAND AND LEMOYNE IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS THAT

TALKS COULD NOT PROCEED SO LONG AS THE GOC MAINTAINS ITS

NEW, TIGHTER CONTROLS OVER THE "DESPEJE." ON NOVEMBER

23, CAMILO GOMEZ MET WITH REYES AND GOMEZ, AND WAS

REPORTEDLY GIVEN ESSENTIALLY THE SAME MESSAGE -- RELAX

CONTROL OVER THE ZONE AND THEN WE'LL SEE.



7. (C) ON NOVEMBER 25, A DELEGATION OF "GROUP OF

FACILITATORS" AMBASSADORS MET WITH REYES AND GOMEZ IN THE

"DESPEJE." ON NOVEMBER 26, A FOREIGN DIPLOMAT WHO WAS

PRESENT AT THE MEETING TOLD POL/ECONCOUNS THAT THE

ATMOSPHERICS WERE "VERY FORMAL," THAT REYES AND GOMEZ

HAMMERED AT THE GOC SECURITY CONTROLS OVER THE DESPEJE,

ESPECIALLY THE OVERFLIGHTS, AND THAT THEY WERE FIRM ON

THEIR POSITION THAT CONTROLS HAVE TO BE RELAXED.



8. (C) THE DIPLOMAT SAID THE AMBASSADORS, LED BY FRENCH

AMBASSADOR PARFAIT (FRANCE IS NOW CHAIR OF THE "GROUP OF

FACILITATORS," UNDER A ROTATING CHAIR SYSTEM),TOLD THE

FARC THAT THE EU WILL MEET IN DECEMBER TO DISCUSS THE

ISSUE OF FARC VISAS AND EXPLAINED THAT SOME MEMBERS WERE

ADVOCATING A HARD LINE BASED ON THE FARC KIDNAPPINGS OF

FOREIGNERS. ASKED WHETHER THE GROUP HAD GIVEN THE FARC

AN "ULTIMATUM" CALLING FOR THE FARC TO CHANGE ITS TACTICS

OR LOSE THE VISAS, THE DIPLOMATS ANSWERED THAT NEITHER AN

"ULTIMATUM," NOR A HARD MESSAGE HAD BEEN DELIVERED BY THE

EU.



9. (C) THE DIPLOMAT SAID THAT THE GROUP ASKED THE FARC

TO MAKE SOME TYPE OF "GESTURE" THAT WOULD HELP ADVANCE

THE PEACE PROCESS. IN THE END, THE FARC MADE NO PROMISES

TO EITHER MAKE A "GESTURE" OR TO AGREE TO A BROADER

MEETING WITH THE GOC NEGOTIATING TEAM AND FACILITATORS.

INSTEAD, THE FARC COMPLAINED THAT SUCH A MEETING WAS

UNLIKELY UNTIL/UNLESS THE GOC LIFTS SOME OF ITS SECURITY

CONTROLS. THE DIPLOMAT SAID THAT, INSTEAD, REYES AND

GOMEZ USED THE OPPORTUNITY TO RAIL AGAINST THE UNITED

NATIONS, WHICH THEY CHARACTERIZED AS AN UNREPRESENTATIVE

BODY BECAUSE "SOCIALIST COUNTRIES ARE NOT FAIRLY

REPRESENTED IN IT."



10. (C) COMMENT: THE FARC LEADERSHIP CONTINUES TO PLAY

BRINKMANSHIP WITH THE PEACE PROCESS. THEY HAVE NOT

BUDGED AT ALL IN THEIR DEMAND THAT THE GOC RELAX ITS

CONTROLS OVER THE "DESPEJE," BEFORE TALKS CAN RESUME.

THE FARC LIKELY FEELS VULNERABLE TO THE COLOMBIAN

SECURITY FORCES' ADDED SURVEILLANCE OF THE ZONE, WHICH

THEY BELIEVE ADVERSELY IMPACTS THEIR ABILITY TO USE THE

ZONE AS A REPOSITORY FOR KIDNAP VICTIMS AND STOLEN CATTLE

AND VEHICLES; A REST AND RECUPERATION AND TRAINING AREA

FOR COMBATANTS, AND A COCA GROWING ZONE. MARULANDA'S

LATEST OFFER TO DELAY TALKS UNTIL NEXT JANUARY 15 IS

PROBABLY INTENDED TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE GOC AND THE

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY (ESPECIALLY THE EUROPEANS) TO

EASE UP ON CONTROLS OVER THE "DESPEJE" AND ON THE EU'S

POSSIBLE REVOCATION OF VISAS TO LEVERAGE THE FARC.





PATTERSON





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