AMBASSADOR VALENCIA REPORTS ON ELN-GOC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 011864

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2014
TAGS: PTER PHUM KJUS PINR PREL CO ELN
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR VALENCIA REPORTS ON ELN-GOC
COMMUNICATIONS

REF: BOGOTA 09991

Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d)

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Summary
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1. (C) Ambassador Valencia, the Mexican facilitator for talks
between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the GOC,
briefed the Ambassador on recent communications between the
two sides on November 16. On October 8, the ELN offered to
meet with the GOC in Mexico but demanded the GOC provide a
helicopter and aircraft for the visit, prevent INTERPOL from
taking action against them, and release imprisoned commander
"Francisco Galan" (Gerardo Bermudez) for the talks. The GOC
responded by repeating its condition for a unilateral
cease-fire before any meeting, but with the condition that it
could be a temporary cease-fire. It also asked the ELN to
clarify whether it was asking for a humanitarian accord to be
followed by a cease-fire, and whether it would be willing to
meet with the GOC in the Mexican Embassy in Bogota after
declaring a temporary cease-fire. Valencia said the ELN
would respond negatively and expressed frustration that the
talks could be reaching a breaking point. As Valencia's
principle interlocutor was the imprisoned Galan, the
Ambassador encouraged Valencia to try to gain wider access to
the ELN leadership. He said the U.S. was willing to support
a legitimate peace process, would not press the GOC to
jeopardize the process with the paramilitaries and eventually
the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) by making
too many concessions to the ELN, and urged Valencia to
publicly blame the ELN if talks were to break down. End
Summary.

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ELN Makes Demands
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2. (C) On November 16, Mexico's Ambassador Valencia, who
facilitates talks between the ELN and the GOC, briefed the
Ambassador on recent communications between the two sides.
On October 8, the ELN Central Command (COCE) proposed a
meeting with the GOC in Mexico but demanded that the GOC
provide a helicopter and aircraft for the visit, prevent
INTERPOL from taking any action against them, and release
imprisoned ELN commander "Francisco Galan." Valencia
explained that the COCE had been upset by government comments
following the leaked conversations between Peace Commissioner
Restrepo and the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC)
(reftel). The COCE continues to resist being labeled and
treated as a terrorist group rather than a "legitimate" rebel
group, being equated to the AUC, and being subjected to jail
sentences for major crimes.

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The GOC Response
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3. (C) Last week, the GOC responded to the ELN, reiterating
its condition of a unilateral cease-fire before any meeting.
If the ELN agreed, the GOC would be willing to hold talks and
consider the ELN's political demands. The GOC also requested
two clarifications: (1) Is the ELN asking for a sequence in
which a humanitarian accord would be followed by a
cease-fire? and (2) Would the ELN be willing to meet with the
GOC and Valencia in the Mexican Embassy in Bogota following a
declaration of a temporary cease-fire?

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Prospects Dim
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4. (C) The ELN has not issued a response yet but Valencia
understands that the ELN will not accept even a temporary
cease-fire because it fears setting a precedent of requiring
a cease-fire before any meeting. Valencia expressed
frustration at the impasse and predicted that the talks could
be near a breaking point. Valencia's abilities are further
limited because the imprisoned Galan may not accurately
represent the COCE's mindset. Without a peace deal, Galan
remains in jail, making him a willing interlocutor but not
necessarily a good COCE spokesman. Valencia admitted that he
did not know the views of the COCE members.


5. (C) The Ambassador encouraged Valencia to try other
channels to access the COCE. Author Gabriel Garcia Marquez
has been involved in outreach to the ELN and could have
better access. The Embassy will not pressure the GOC to
soften its conditions any more than it already has,
especially regarding the conditions of a cease-fire, jail
time, and other elements of importance to the paramilitary
(and eventual FARC) processes, but was prepared to help a
legitimate peace process in other ways, including the use of
the residence for a meeting between the COCE and GOC. (Note:
The Ambassador did not/not offer his participation in any way
in the talks themselves.) The Ambassador noted that if
communications were to break down completely, Valencia should
publicly blame the ELN's intransigence.


6. (C) Comment: The GOC has been flexible and committed to
starting a peace process with the ELN without standing down
on the requisite cease-fire. The ELN, meanwhile, does not
appear to know what it wants out of talks or if it is even
serious about negotiating. End comment.
WOOD