FARC KILLS TWO HIGH PROFILE HOSTAGES

id: 7847 date: 5/6/2003 0:07 refid: 03BOGOTA3994 origin: Embassy Bogota classification: SECRET destination: header: O 060007Z MAY 03 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6174 INFO CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE DEA WASHDC IMMEDIATE DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE DIRONDCP WASHDC IMMEDIATE FBI WASHDC IMMEDIATE JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE USCINCSO MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY BRASILIA AMEMBASSY CARACAS AMEMBASSY LIMA AMEMBASSY PANAMA AMEMBASSY QUITO -------------- header ends -------------- S E C R E T BOGOTA 003994 E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2013 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PTER CO SUBJECT: FARC KILLS TWO HIGH PROFILE HOSTAGES CLASSIFIED BY: AMB. ANNE W. PATTERSON FOR REASONS 1.5(B,D) ¶1. (S) ON MAY 5, THE FARC EXECUTED TWO HIGH PROFILE HOSTAGES- ANTIOQUIA GOVERNOR GUILLERMO GAVIRIA AND FORMER DEFENSE MINISTER AND PEACE ADVISER GILBERTO ECHEVERRI- IN AN AREA NEAR URRAO, ANTIOQUIA DEPARTMENT. EIGHT SOLDIERS WHO THE FARC ALSO HAD KIDNAPPED WERE KILLED AS WELL. SOURCES INDICATE THAT THE MURDERS TOOK PLACE DURING AN ILL-FATED RESCUE ATTEMPT BY A COLOMBIAN SPECIAL FORCES UNIT. THE FARC DISCOVERED THE ATTEMPTED RESCUE AND A FIREFIGHT ENSUED. DURING THIS ENCOUNTER, THE FARC ALLEGEDLY EXECUTED THE PRISONERS WITH SHOTS TO THE HEAD. ¶2. (S) THE FARC RELEASED A STATEMENT THAT CONFIRMED THE DEATHS OF GAVIRIA AND ECHEVERRI, ALONG WITH THE MILITARY HOSTAGES, AND ATTRIBUTED THE FATALITIES TO A FAILED RESCUE ATTEMPT ORCHESTRATED BY THE COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT. GAVIRIA AND ECHEVERRI HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED BY THE FARC ON APRIL 21, 2002 WHILE PARTICIPATING IN A PEACE MARCH IN CAICEDO, ANTIOQUIA DEPARTMENT. 3.(U) THE 41-YEAR-OLD GAVIRIA, SON OF A PROMINENT MEDELLIN FAMILY THAT OWNED THE INFLUENTIAL EL MUNDO NEWSPAPER, ENTERED OFFICE AS GOVERNOR OF ANTIOQUIA IN JANUARY, 2001. HE WAS THE SOLE CANDIDATE OF THE LIBERAL PARTY DURING THAT CAMPAIGN. PREVIOUSLY, HE HAD WORKED AS DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ROADS OF COLOMBIA FROM 1994 UNTIL 1999. HE ATTENDED THE COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES WHERE HE GRADUATED WITH A DEGREE IN ENGINEERING AND MINING ADMINISTRATION. ¶4. (U) THE 69-YEAR-OLD ECHEVERRI, FORMER MINISTER OF DEFENSE DURING THE SAMPER ADMINISTRATION, WORKED AS THE PEACE COMMISSIONER FOR ANTIOQUIA. THE MEDELLIN NATIVE HAD HELD THE GOVERNORSHIP OF ANTIOQUIA FROM 1990-91. FOLLOWING THIS, HE REENTERED THE PRIVATE SECTOR AS PRESIDENT OF THE CELLULAR TELEPHONE COMPANY, OCCEL. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: THE ASSASSINATION OF GAVIRIA AND ECHEVERRI, BOTH POPULAR POLITICIANS, BY THE FARC WILL STUN COLOMBIANS. GAVIRIA AND ECHEVERRI WERE THE FARC'S TWO MOST IMPORTANT BARGAINING CHIPS WITH THE GOVERNMENT IN SECURING AN EXCHANGE OF HOSTAGES FOR FARC PRISONERS. WE EXPECT THAT URIBE WILL ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BOTCHED RESCUE ATTEMPT. URIBE WILL NOW FIND HIMSELF UNDER EVEN MORE INTENSE PRESSURE TO NEGOTIATE A HOSTAGE EXCHANGE WITH THE FARC AND FOREGO FUTURE RESCUE ATTEMPTS. URIBE WILL RESIST THIS PRESSURE TO NEGOTIATE A HOSTAGE EXCHANGE; HOWEVER, HE MAY SHY AWAY FROM APPROVING ANY RESCUE EFFORTS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. AS FOR THE FARC, ITS TERRORIST INSTINCTS HAVE ONCE AGAIN FORFEITED ANY SUCCESS AT GAINING SOME POSITIVE POLITICAL TRACTION ON THE HOSTAGE ISSUE. EMBASSY IS CERTAIN THAT WE CAN DETERMINE THE EXACT FACTS OF THE RESCUE IN A FEW DAYS, AND WE WILL ADVISE THE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER AGENCIES. END COMMENT. PATTERSON