DIPLOMATIC NOTE REGARDING GOC RESPONSE TO ORLANDO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 011686

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/14/2015
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PTER CO
SUBJECT: DIPLOMATIC NOTE REGARDING GOC RESPONSE TO ORLANDO
VALENCIA HUMAN RIGHTS CASE

REF: BOGOTA 10565

Classified By: Jeffrey De Laurentis. Reasons: 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) On December 12, 2005, the Ministry of Foreign
Relations sent a diplomatic note to the Embassy regarding a
November 22 meeting between Ambassador Wood and Foreign
Minister Carolina Barco on the subject of murdered
Afro-Colombian leader Orlando Valencia (copy faxed to
WHA/AND). As reported reftel, Mr. Valencia was an
Afro-Colombian leader who was abducted on October 15 and
whose body was found on October 24. The Ambassador has
raised the case with senior GOC officials and urged a quick,
transparent, and thorough investigation that leads to the
conviction of the perpetrators.


2. (C) Begin informal Embassy translation of Diplomatic Note:

The Ministry of Foreign Relations sends its salutations to
the Embassy of the United States of America and refers to a
meeting held between Ambassador William Braucher Wood and the
Minister of Foreign Relations this past November, in which
the two discussed, among other topics, the death of Orlando
Valencia.

The International Affairs Section of the Prosecutor General's
office has provided this Ministry with the following response:

"With respect to the case of Orlando Valencia, we understand
that a special attorney from the Prosecutor General's Human
Rights and International Humanitarian Law Unit triggered an
urgent search.

In addition, the Prosecutor General's Apartado office opened
an investigation into the kidnapping of Orlando Valencia and
the Prosecutor General's Chigorodo office opened an
investigation into the murder of Mr. Valencia.

Furthermore, the International Affairs Section has requested
that the director of the Human Rights and International
Humanitarian Law Unit reassign the case to that unit. Once we
receive a response to this request, we will duly inform your
office."

In addition, the Presidential Program for Human Rights has
also provided this Ministry with the following information
regarding the judicial, administrative, and practical
procedures involved with this case:

"The Presidential Program of Human Rights and International
Humanitarian Law communicated with the Regional Coordinator
of the Project for Communities at Risk, which is the
permanent liaison of the Ministry of Interior and Justice in
this zone, to provide notice of the event and to demand that
all competent authorities verify the event and take all
necessary actions.

We have also been in contact with the National Police, who
have stated that the persons (On October 15, 2005, 10 persons
belonging to the JIGUAMIANDO y CURBARADO families,
beneficiaries of Provisional Measures, as well as two
associates, a lawyer from Justice and Peace and a Canadian
citizen, were approached by national police officers) had not
been arrested, but that the national police had been
conducting routine checks in the city of Belen de Bajira.

The Human Rights Ombudsman, Daniel Antonio Sastoque Corono,
also was aware of the events and ordered defensive actions.

The Ministry of the Interior and the Human Rights Ombudsman
activated an urgent search, which involved investigative and
oversight agencies, as well as the executive branch.

This urgent search, in which the Technical Investigative
Unit, the Department of Administrative Security, the
Prosecutor General's office, the National Police, the
military, and departmental authorities participated,
uncovered a corpse of afro descent in Rio Leon, Bocas de
Zabalo, some 30 minutes from Chigorodo. Medical exams were
conducted on the body. The Prosecutor General's office
reported via telephone that 75 percent of the cadaver could
be identified as being Orlando Valencia, and that body was
found with clothes Valencia was wearing the day he
disappeared. In addition, a religious associate identified
the body as Orlando Valencia, by his build and clothing. We
are still awaiting results from a postmortem digital skin
examination, a dental examination, and a bone DNA test in
order to achieve 100 percent identification of the body."

According to information provided by the Inspector General's
office, disciplinary investigations have been opened. Due to
the complexity of the case, it was referred to human rights
officials in the Office of the Inspector General.
End informal Embassy translation of Diplomatic Note.
WOOD