DAS FISK TOURS PANAMA'S REMOTE DARIEN BORDER REGION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PANAMA 002583 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR WHA/CEN SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV SNAR PM POL CHIEF SUBJECT: DAS FISK TOURS PANAMA'S REMOTE DARIEN BORDER REGION SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) WHA DAS Dan Fisk and Ambassador Watt, with POL Counselor and NAS Director, visited three locales in Panama's rugged and remote Darien province October 6, including the provincial capital, La Palma. They spent the day viewing Panamanian National Police (PNP) border installations, greeting Darien's newly named governor, inspecting USAID projects, and meeting with local representatives. Newly appointed PNP Director Gustavo Perez, who assumed office on September 1, accompanied the Ambassador and DAS Fisk. The trip provided Perez with his first opportunity to inspect PNP bases at all three stops and talk with his officers in the field. NAS Director briefed Perez on NAS assistance projects in the Darien. The visit confirmed earlier impressions that the PNP has enhanced its presence in the Darien in recent years but it will need additional resources to firmly establish government control in the province. End Summary. Puerto Obaldia -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The Embassy's chartered plane touched down first in Puerto Obaldia, a Caribbean coast settlement of 500 inhabitants about an hour by air from Panama City. The town is very close to the border and is separated from Colombia by a high ridge. DAS Fisk and the Ambassador accepted PNP Director Perez's offer to fly them to the border about a mile away at La Miel in his helicopter, which shadowed the chartered plane's movements during the day. After inspecting a gun emplacement on the shore, the party visited a PNP barracks and command center. Also, two armed PNP go-fast patrol boats were anchored in the harbor. The Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) has donated two other patrol boats to the PNP, one of which was in La Palma when the group arrived. Some Geography -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The northern Darien border region (on Panama's Atlantic Coast) is extremely rugged, covered with thick rainforest, and is the source of the north-to-south-flowing rivers that crisscross the province. The province is dotted with many abandoned dirt airstrips, some of them WWII-vintage. Taken together, the difficult, practically vacant terrain and shoreline (the province's population is 50,000),forest cover, airstrips, and meandering rivers make it an ideal habitat for guerrillas, narcotraffickers, and people smugglers. La Palma -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Next stop was La Palma, the provincial capital, situated on the broad, scenic Tuira River estuary. Newly named provincial governor Juana Lopez and the Alcalde (mayor) came to greet the Ambassador and DAS Fisk at the airstrip. The party moved to the municipal offices where a roomful of local citizens were waiting. After the Ambassador gave an impromptu speech, many of the citizens presented petitions for local projects they wanted the Embassy to consider funding. The Ambassador thanked the group for their confidence in the United States but suggested that they bring their needs to the attention of Panamanian government representatives in the first instance. Ambassador and DAS Fisk also toured PNP installations. Sambu -------------- ¶5. (SBU) In Sambu (also called Boca de Sabalo),the Ambassador and DAS Fisk inspected USAID projects designed to help local citizens (both indigenous Embera and Afro-Panamanians) build community centers to host tourists. Comment -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Throughout the visit, 10-20 armed PNP personnel provided security, whether by helicopter or patrol boat. Their presence underscored the continuing reality that, in many areas of the Darien, the PNP is the Panamanian government's only presence. MCMULLEN