Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05BOGOTA10949
2005-11-23 18:51:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bogota
Cable title:  

ARMED CONFRONTATION IN VICINITY OF SAN JOSE DE

Tags:  PGOV PHUM PREF CO 
pdf how-to read a cable
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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #0949/01 3271851
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O 231851Z NOV 05
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9921
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 010949 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2015
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF CO
SUBJECT: ARMED CONFRONTATION IN VICINITY OF SAN JOSE DE
APARTADO

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Milton K. Drucker
Reasons: 1.4(b) and (d).

-------
Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 010949

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2015
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF CO
SUBJECT: ARMED CONFRONTATION IN VICINITY OF SAN JOSE DE
APARTADO

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Milton K. Drucker
Reasons: 1.4(b) and (d).

--------------
Summary
--------------


1. (C) On November 17 the Embassy received reports from the
NGO Fellowship of Reconciliation that there had been an
attack by the military on residents of the Peace Community of
Arenas Altas, in the municipality of Apartado, Antioquia
Department. The Arenas Altas Peace Community is near the
Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado. Subsequent NGO
reports concluded that one man was killed and one man
wounded. The San Jose de Apartado Peace Community placed a
statement on its website accusing the military of murdering a
civilian. According to Colombian military sources, an army
unit engaged in a heavy firefight with 8-10 FARC terrorists
in the Arenas Altas vicinity. The military claims to have
killed a female terrorist. Charge contacted the Vice
President, the Minister of Defense, and the Director of the
Colombian National Police to express the Embassy's strong
interest in clarifying the facts surrounding the armed
confrontation as quickly as possible. Fiscalia (Prosecutor
General) and military investigations are ongoing. End
summary.

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Initial Reports Incomplete, Conflicting
--------------


2. (C) Preliminary reports from the Fellowship of
Reconciliation (FOR) were somewhat confusing, perhaps
reflecting the difficulty of piecing together facts from a
remote area that has sporadic cellular telephone service.
The initial NGO reports indicated that a grenade was launched
by a helicopter into a corn field in Arenas Altas where
resident Arlen Sales David was working, killing him almost
instantly. Subsequent reports from FOR, after speaking with
a Spanish accompanier working for the NGO Acompaz, indicated
that Colombian soldiers entered the town of Arenas Altas and
were "shooting indiscriminately" at buildings.


3. (C) According to Acompaz, witnesses said resident Hernan
Goez heard the gunshots and fled Arenas Altas. He was shot
and wounded in the back. Witnesses also told FOR
(confusingly) that a female resident who was cooking on her
front porch witnessed soldiers passing by and opened fire on

them. The witnesses say the soldiers returned fire and shot
the woman. FOR told us that residents of San Jose de
Apartado, after hearing the gunfire, helicopter fire, and a
rumor that someone had been seriously injured, picked up the
local human rights ombudsman in San Jose de Apartado, Ruben
Dario, and went to Arenas Altas. On the way they met up with
some soldiers who indicated that both the Voltigeros and
Velez Battalions of the 17th Brigade were participating in an
operation against the FARC, and that they could not call it
off to evacuate injured civilians. San Jose de Apartado
residents eventually moved in under Colombian military
protection and removed the body of David (apparently contrary
to the wishes of ombudsman Dario). Residents watched
soldiers depart with the body of the woman who had been shot.
FOR reported that David's body had shrapnel in his neck and
obvious gunpowder burns from an explosion (this is consistent
with a subsequent military account). For its part, the San
Jose de Apartado Peace Community claimed on its website that
the military had murdered David.


4. (C) Initial reports from Colombian military sources
indicated they had intelligence information that a group of
8-10 FARC guerrillas from either the 5th or 58th Front were
active in the Arenas Altas region, and were hiding in an
abandoned farmhouse. The reports also indicated that the
Voltigeros Battalion of the 17th Brigade moved in to confront
the guerrillas. They allegedly launched an attack on the
farmhouse, during the course of which one female FARC
terrorist was killed (allegedly the girlfriend of FARC 58th
Front leader, alias "Amico"). The Colombian military claims
it did not launch any grenades by helicopter; the helicopter
support that was called in only delivered machine gun fire to
protect the soldiers as they were leaving the scene under
heavy FARC gunfire. Colombian military sources also reported
that soldiers retreated in the direction of San Jose de
Apartado, and were not aware of any noncombatant casualties,
although they did not discount the possibility of such
casualties due to the fierceness of the firefight. The
military said it captured 4 FARC weapons and 300 rounds of
ammunition.

--------------
Embassy Response
--------------



5. (C) As soon as the Embassy learned about the incident,
D/PolCouns contacted Carlos Franco, Director of the Vice
President's Office on Human Rights and International
Humanitarian Law. Franco put General Zapata directly in
contact with the FOR representative who was receiving the
reports of casualties. On November 18, the Charge spoke with
Vice President Francisco Santos and the Director of the
Colombian National Police General Jorge Daniel Castro Castro
to express the Embassy's strong interest in clarifying the
facts surrounding the matter. Minister of Defense Ospina was
with Vice President Santos when he spoke with the Charge.
Polcouns and DATT followed up with calls at the operational
level. The DATT confirmed on November 19 that Minister of
Defense Ospina asked that the case be given priority
attention after the Charge's call.

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Investigations Launched
--------------


6. (C) The GOC launched Fiscalia (Prosecutor General) and MOD
investigations immediately upon hearing of the armed
confrontation (the Fiscalia had a human rights team on-site,
which it reassigned to investigate the case). Forensic
evidence, such as shell casings, are being collected and
witness testimony gathered (this matter is complicated
because apparently NGO and other community representatives
moved David's body and say they picked up pieces of shrapnel,
possibly contaminating the scene). There is no common
account yet of what happened. The GOC has custody of David's
body, as well as of the body of the deceased woman (who has
not yet been formally identified). The Embassy will continue
to press the GOC at the highest levels to reach early and
firm conclusions based on the evidence.
DRUCKER