FARC PROPOSES NEW DEMILITARIZED ZONES FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 012598

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2014
TAGS: PGOV PTER ASEC CO FARC
SUBJECT: FARC PROPOSES NEW DEMILITARIZED ZONES FOR
HUMANITARIAN EXCHANGE

REF: A. BOGOTA 12410

B. BOGOTA 11207

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


1. (U) On December 3, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia (FARC) released a communique dated November 28,
changing one of its long-standing requirements for a
humanitarian exchange. The communique appears to pre-date
the GOC's December 2 release of 23 (with 12 more expected)
FARC members guilty of membership in an illegal armed group
-- in most cases the crime of rebellion. Claiming to cite
GOC arguments that clearing the municipalities of San Vicente
del Caguan and Cartagena del Chaira in Caqueta Department for
a prisoner exchange would weaken the "Patriot Plan," the
communique proposes that Florida and Pradera municipalities
in Valle de Cauca Department be used instead. President
Uribe responded on December 7 that the GOC would not accept
any kind of clearing as a condition for exchange and
suggested the FARC propose different measures.


2. (U) The FARC's message added another new condition to any
exchange agreement; that more than 500 FARC members currently
imprisoned by the GOC be released. It also declares that the
Catholic Church should direct contact with the UN, "friendly"
governments and the Red Cross to support an exchange. The
FARC dub the extradition of FARC leader Simon Trinidad as a
"crude stunt," and warn that such extraditions to the United
States could interfere with a future exchange.


3. (C) This latest communique may have been a preemptive
strike by the FARC to show its "flexibility" before the GOC
began releasing the ex-FARC members. The FARC has not
responded in any other way to the December 2 release and
remains unlikely to reciprocate.

FARC Makes Lateral Step
--------------


4. (U) Begin text of informal translation of FARC communique:

The government argues that clearing the municipalities of San
Vicente and Cartagena del Chaira to conduct a prisoner swap
is impossible because it would be tantamount to ending or
suspending the "Patriot Plan." Therefore, so that the plan
can continue its normal course, we propose:

-- To demilitarize two municipalities of the hundreds outside
the Eastern and Southern bloc areas, where the government has
deluded itself into believing that it can defeat the
guerrillas with the plan designed and directed by the
Southern Command of the U.S. Army.

-- The two municipalities that we propose are Florida and
Pradera in Valle. They must provide the necessary security
guarantees for the movement of our spokespeople, the transfer
of the two sides' prisoners to the place agreed upon for the
exchange, and the subsequent pullback of the more than 500
guerrillas who must be released under the accords.

-- The Catholic Church, which will be in charge of the
initial contacts, will look into the possibilities of ties
with the United Nations, friendly governments, and the
International Red Cross in related and logistical support
tasks.

-- We invite the relatives of Colombian and U.S. prisoners to
embrace this proposal and make it successful, as everyone
hopes it will be.

-- Our political resolve to end the lengthy imprisonment of
the individuals held by both sides is clearly corroborated by
this proposal. We hope that Mr. Uribe's government is up to
the challenges of this humanitarian accord, which has been
awaiting implementation for some time.

-- The Supreme Court has manifestly demonstrated its
servility and lack of propriety by authorizing the
extradition of Simon Trinidad, the FARC peace spokesman, to
the United States. This crude stunt also attacks the
unquestionably political nature of our struggle. Our
response is that this could seriously interfere with the
possibility of a prisoner exchange. On principle we oppose
the extradition of Colombians, an unworthy practice that
renounces sovereignty and that cannot continue amid
indifference. No civilized country in the world is handing
over its citizens to be prosecuted by the Gringos.

Secretariat of the Central Command of the FARC

SIPDIS
Mountains of Colombia, November 28, 2004

End text.
WOOD