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