NEWS FROM THE FARC FRONT

UNCLAS BOGOTA 010889

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV MARR MOPS PHUM SNAR CO
SUBJECT: NEWS FROM THE FARC FRONT


Summary
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1. (U) On November 20, President Uribe authorized Peace
Commissioner Restrepo to organize an international commission
to help facilitate a hostage exchange with the Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Restrepo had earlier called
on the FARC to commit itself to a cease-fire and peace talks
on November 16 when he presided over the group demobilization
of the FARC's "Norma Patricia Galeano" front. The
international commission and group demobilization contrast
with the FARC's two recent messages reaffirming its
revolutionary goals and enticing Colombian military
desertions. (Over 4,000 FARC terrorists have deserted during
the Uribe Administration.) The FARC statements highlight the
organization's intransigence. End summary.

Uribe Authorizes International Commission
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2. (U) In a new initiative to overcome the impasse in
hostage exchange negotiations, President Uribe directed Peace
Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo to work with an
international commission to negotiate a prisoner swap with
the FARC. The GOC and FARC have been unable to agree on the
swap location and the security provisions of those areas.
Leading daily El Tiempo reported that Restrepo had discussed
the international commission idea while on his recent trip to
France and Switzerland. El Tiempo added that the initiative
came about as a response to Ingrid Betancourt's mother,
Yolanda Pulecio's, most recent request that the GOC not use
military force to free her daughter. On November 12, Pulecio
publicly announced that Uribe did not qualify for
re-election, since her daughter was still captive, contending
that the GOC had failed to obey necessary procedures to allow
competitive elections. Although her contention was largely
dismissed, the GOC has attempted to revive the humanitarian
exchange negotiations and show some movement on the issue.

First FARC Group Demobilization
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3. (U) On November 16, 24 members of the urban FARC "Norma
Patricia Galeano" front in Ibague, Tolima Department
demobilized as a group, voluntarily surrendering their arms
and joining the civil reintegration program. The front had
been operational in the Ibague/Espinal areas since 1987.
Restrepo attended the ceremony and called on the members of
the FARC Secretariat to agree to a cease-fire and to begin
peace talks with the GOC. In exchange for their weapons, the
members received four radios, antennas, and cell phones to
facilitate communication with city officials. Including the
latest 24 demobilizations, over 4,100 members of the FARC
have deserted during the Uribe Administration and almost
1,000 have rejoined society.

FARC Reaffirms Struggle
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4. (U) Despite these initiatives, judging by two recent
statements, the FARC appears as intransigent as ever. On
October 30, the FARC railed against the Constitutional
Court's reelection decision and vowed to continue to struggle
against the administration. The statement addresses a range
of Colombian political issues and is worth quoting in its
entirety to demonstrate the organization's mindset.

Begin informal translation:

Communique of the FARC

-- The recent Constitutional Court decision, which clears the
path for immediate reelection, buries the independence of the
Colombian government's separate branches of power without
honor or glory. The political machinery mocked the
principles and 1991 constitutional ban against reelection.
The majority of Congress, and the Courts that changed the
constitutional provision, aside from some honorable
exceptions, were bought cheaply with deceitful Uribe
politicking, contributing to the appearance of cowardly
evasion like that Mr. Andres Pastrana.
-- Uribe, the U.S. government, rightist businesses, and
mafia-like paramilitaries fueled by the press, radio,
television, and misleading polls, think they have cleared the
path to advance with their "Democratic Security." It is a
policy of armored vehicles, neo-liberal politics, and of war
and hunger against the citizenry. This coalition is
consistent with a civil-military dictatorship led by the
President. They do this because they feel their class
interests are not protected; because it advances the general
and political crisis; and because they have begun to feel the
tremors of growing dissatisfaction among the lower classes.

-- Uribe has demonstrated he is not interested in
Humanitarian Exchange, much less a peace agreement with the
FARC. For us, it is clear that as long as Uribe remains, we
will not be able to reach common ground.

-- The Uribe Government has failed with its war strategy.
The next four years will be marked by gunpowder and blood;
neither the poor nor social programs are the government's
priority. At a minimum, the democratic forces and the
revolutionaries will need to agree to a program that includes
political solutions, Humanitarian Exchange, the end of Plan
Colombia and Plan Patriota, not signing the Free Trade
Agreement, Social Investment and Agrarian Reform, thus
ensuring that this President and his thieving allies do not
push the country into a situation far worse then the Colombia
of the 1950s. They have already attacked liberals who did
not share their vision.

-- The electoral campaign in progress is painted as a new
Uribe-centered play, where the State mechanisms, official and
para-statal, armed with weapons, chainsaws, contractors, and
bureaucrats with an 105 billion peso national budget and
millions of dollars from the Ralito (paramilitary) mafia at
its disposal to perpetuate its reign of tyranny indefinitely.


-- We are convinced we are among the majority: those of us
who oppose these machinations and seek a democracy with
political solutions, social justice, and sovereignty.
Consequently, we call for a different choice, to put common
strategy first and create meeting places where forces can
come together to reverse the advances of the dictatorship.

Secretariat of the Central Command, FARC

SIPDIS
Mountains of Colombia, October 30, 2005

End text.

FARC Promotes Colombian Military Desertions
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5. (U) The FARC Secretariat repeated in an October 20
statement its desertion message directed at the Colombian
military, this time directing the plea specifically at the
sergeants "on the front line." It urges them stop "being
dogs of the oligarchy." The message concludes by saying that
they hope the military and police will help advance a
humanitarian exchange with the FARC to "free prisoners in the
midst of conflict."


6. (SBU) The October 20 message uses the same tactics used by
the GOC to encourage guerrillas to desert the ranks,
according to Col Jairo Uribe, Director of the Army's civil
affairs branch. The GOC primarily uses radio ads or leaflets
to inform guerrillas about desertion and reinsertion options.
In addition to outlining the benefits and incorporating
patriotic themes, the GOC tapes personalized messages from
FARC deserters in different areas and broadcasts specialized
entreaties to different fronts. Col Uribe reported that the
Colombian military owned over 45 radio stations across
Colombia and broadcasted a new message to their area each
week. He noted that the messages were more powerful coming
from former FARC members known to the rank and file.
DRUCKER