DAS SHAPIRO AND DAS FARRAR MEET WITH DEFENSE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BOGOTA 012984

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2014
TAGS: PTER SNAR ASEC PINR PREL CO
SUBJECT: DAS SHAPIRO AND DAS FARRAR MEET WITH DEFENSE
MINISTER URIBE


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


1. (U) December 16, 2004, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Ministry of
Defense, Bogota


2. (U) Participants:

U.S.
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INL DAS Jonathan Farrar
WHA DAS Charles Shapiro
Ambassador William B. Wood
Al Matano, INL/LP Deputy Director
David Henifin, Deputy Director for WHA/AND
Jeff DeLaurentis, POLCOUNS
Phyllis Powers, NAS Director
Colonel Simeon Trombitas, MILGRP Commander
Sarah LaGier, notetaker

Colombia
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Jorge Alberto Uribe, Minister of Defense
Jorge Mario Eastman, Vice Defense Minister
BG Luis Fernando Puentes, Chief of Military Justice
Vicente Echandia, International Affairs Adviser



3. (C) Summary: MOD Uribe said relations with Venezuela were
cordial but tense. He welcomed Venezuela's efforts to secure
the border but expressed concern that, given Chavez'
unpredictability, something more serious could be behind it.
If Venezuela found a pretext to invade Colombian territory,
the GOC would immediately take the matter to the UN. Uribe
said U.S. assistance was key to recent military successes
against the illegal armed groups. His objective was to
improve jointness between the armed services and with other
ministries responsible for establishing a state presence in
secured areas. Uribe agreed that aerial eradication in
national parks was a high priority. The incoming Chief of
Military Justice, General Puentes, provided brief updates on
four key human rights cases: the Mapiripan paramilitary
massacre case was moved to a judge in Bogota; the killing of
five civilians in Cajamarca was moved to the civilian justice
system; the crossfire between police and army in Guaitarilla
was nearing closure in the military justice system; and the
killing of three trade unionists in Arauca was with the
civilian justice system. Uribe said that one his key
priorities is to reform the military justice system to make
it more just and transparent. End summary.

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Underlying Tensions with Venezuela
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4. (C) Uribe had just returned from what he described as a
friendly and productive meeting with Venezuelan Defense
Minister Garcia Carneiro. The ministers had agreed to send
two officers to each others' military academies, which Uribe
characterized as a step forward. He described Venezuelan
misperceptions about Colombian attitudes as extraordinary.
The GOC was treading carefully to avoid anything that
President Chavez could interpret as an act of aggression.
Uribe noted that Venezuela was buying weapons and increasing
radar along the border. While securing the border was also
good for Colombia, the GOC had to watch what was coming
behind the build up. Uribe said the Venezuelans were also
upgrading infrastructure such as extending water pipes,
reinforcing bridges, and paving roads, which could facilitate
tank movements. While Colombia would continue to focus on
its own war at home, he could not rule out that Chavez could
do something unexpected. In the event of an attack, Colombia
had no option but to recur to the UN for help since
Colombia's capacity to defend itself against Venezuela was
limited, with only eight combat planes. Uribe claimed that
Venezuela was repairing its F-16 planes and buying spare
parts internationally in order to avoid the difficulty of
buying them directly from the U.S.


5. (C) Farrar noted that drug trafficking is a growing
problem in Venezuela. Uribe agreed and said that there are
numerous illegal flights from elsewhere in Venezuela to the
Colombian border to transport arms, precursor chemicals, and
other illicit products into Colombia, and pick up drugs. The
Air Bridge Denial program prevents these illegal planes from
flying into Colombia. According to Uribe, Venezuela seized
25 tons of cocaine this year. Uribe has warned Garcia
Carneiro to take counterdrug measures immediately before the
problem gets out of control.


6. (C) Uribe said that three recent events in particular had
exacerbated tensions with Venezuela:

- When Colombia was planning to purchase tanks from Spain,
Venezuela sent numerous officials to Spain to persuade them
not to go through with the deal.

- The GOC captured Rodrigo Granda Escobar on December 13, one
of the FARC's senior international representatives, on the
Colombian-Venezuelan border.
- Four Colombian police officers were arrested for espionage
in Venezuela. Working behind the scenes, Uribe was assured
by the GOV that they would be released in a few days.

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Counterterrorism Successes
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7. (C) Shapiro congratulated Uribe on military success
against the illegal armed groups, noting that he was
particularly impressed with his trip to San Jose del Guaviare
to observe counternarcotics operations and meet with Plan
Patriota Commander General Fracica. Uribe credited U.S.
assistance as a key element to GOC success. His objective
was to improve jointness, not only between the armed services
but also with other ministries, such as health and education,
which were responsible for establishing a presence in secured
areas. He expressed confidence that the FARC were being
pressured by Plan Patriota. For example, in a recent
operation, the security forces discovered the beret worn by
FARC Commander Mono Jojoy, suggesting he was forced to leave
in a hurry. Uribe said the military was locating and
destroying luxurious FARC facilities with king-sized beds and
pools during Plan Patriota operations. The Ambassador
praised Uribe for a recent presss article about Plan
Patriota, noting that it was important to publicize military
successes.


8. (C) Farrar underscored the importance of keeping open the
option of aerially eradicating coca in national parks. Until
permission is granted to spray in parks, operations
increasingly are focused on hard to reach, small plots of
coca. There are five parks, including ones in the Sierra
Nevada de Santa Marta, Catatumbo, and the Sierra Nevada de
Macarena, that are known to have extensive coca fields.
Uribe agreed, but expressed concern about the international
and domestic reaction if Colombia started spraying national
parks. During a trip to Europe in February, Uribe will
emphasize the importance of aerial eradication. Manual
eradication is too time-consuming and labor-intensive to be
effective in large fields.


9. (C) Uribe said the GOC is already beginning to prepare for
a post-conflict period. Internal reform of the military is a
priority. For example, he is working to expand the role of
the Defense Ministry's Aeronautic Industrial Corporation of
Colombia (CIAC) to conduct maintenance on planes,
helicopters, and other equipment. His goal is to decrease
dependence on the U.S. for equipment and maintenance. Farrar
noted efforts to create an Armed Forces/CNP joint helicopter
maintenance facility would improve efficiency, and that the
GOC needed to weigh operations and maintenance costs in
deciding on new aircraft purchases.

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Human Rights and Military Justice
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10. (C) Shapiro reminded Uribe that, in order for Congress to
release funding for Colombia, the USG needed to report
progress on human rights cases. He raised four problematic
cases that needed satisfactory resolutions: the 1997
Mapiripan paramilitary massacre, the April 2004 killing of
five civilians in Cajamarca, the April 2004 crossfire between
Army and police forces that resulted in the death of seven
police and four civilians in Guaitarilla, and the August 2004
killing of three labor unionists in Arauca Department.
Farrar stressed that resolution of the Mapiripan case was
overdue when he was in WHA in 2000, and further delay
undermined the GOC's progress in other areas. Uribe said he
is working to reform the military justice system to make it
transparent, just, and efficient. He instructed incoming
Military Justice Commander General Puentes to follow the
cases closely, give the Embassy a detailed report on their
status, and to work with the U.S. MILGRP on reform of the
military justice system. Puentes reported that:
- Mapiripan: General Jaime Umberto Uscategui was tried on six
charges and convicted for the crime of omission for the
massacre by the military justice system. The Constitutional
Court overruled the conviction on the grounds that the
military justice system did not have jurisdiction over the
case and transfered it to the civilian justice system.
Uscategui is under house arrest at the Army's cavalry school.
Several pre-trial motions delayed the case from going to
trial. It is now before a judge in Bogota and should go to
trial soon.

- Cajamarca: The case is with the civilian justice system.
One noncommissioned officer and six professional soldiers
have been detained for alleged involvement in the incident.
Uribe added that he personally believed the Army's claim that
it mistook the civilians for guerrillas. He visited the site
one day after the incident occurred and said the thick fog in
the area would make it difficult to determine someone's
identity even at close range.

- Guaitarilla: The case is with the military justice system.
Puentes asserted the judge was close to a decision but was
trying to clarify the cause of a bone fracture of one of the
victims. Two noncommissioned officers and 12 professional
soldiers have been detained for alleged involvement. Uribe
added that President Uribe has repeatedly urged him to find
and reveal the truth of the incident as quickly as possible.

- Arauca: The case is with the civilian justice system.
Uribe added he believed the Army's report that the three
unionists faced arrest for involvement in guerrilla activity.
All soldiers involved are in detention.


11. (U) DAS Shapiro and DAS Farrar cleared on this cable.
WOOD