FARC REPEATS EXCHANGE TERMS AND ATTACKS

id: 28067
date: 3/3/2005 13:46
refid: 05BOGOTA2011
origin: Embassy Bogota
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination:
header:
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.



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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 002011

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2015
TAGS: CASC PGOV PHUM CO
SUBJECT: FARC REPEATS EXCHANGE TERMS AND ATTACKS
DEMOBILIZATION LAW


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


1. (C) On February 25, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia (FARC) released a communique reiterating its
interest in a humanitarian exchange of prisoners with the
GOC. Such an exchange, according to the FARC leadership,
would have to include Simon Trinidad (extradited to the U.S.
in December),Rodrigo Granda Escobar (aka Ricardo Gonzalez),
and Omaira Rojas Cabrera (aka Sonia, soon to be extradited to
the U.S.). The communique condemns the various versions of
the demobilization law currently before the Congress, and,
looking to the post-Uribe political landscape, insists that
any future dialogue with a "new" government be predicated on
the recognition of the FARC as "an armed revolutionary
political body" separate from the GOC.


2. (C) The latest FARC communique comes twelve days after the
second anniversary of its kidnapping of three U.S.
contractors, and two days after the third anniversary of its
capture of Colombian-French national Ingrid Betancourt. The
French have been particularly vocal in recent days about
their interest in exchanging Betancourt as soon as possible.
This is the first time the FARC leadership has explicitly
demanded in a formal communique that Simon Trinidad, Sonia,
and Ricardo Gonzalez be part of any prisoner exchange. This
is the FARC's first public pronouncement on the
demobilization law as well.


3. (C) COMMENT: International Committee for the Red Cross
(ICRC) representatives (who deal regularly with illegal
armed groups in Colombia) say coordinating communiques among
the FARC Secretariat (EMBO) is a lengthy process. So this
message may trace back to President Uribe's attempt to link
Simon Trindad's extradition to a humanitarian release.
Comments on the demobilization law were probably an after
thought, following reports of internal GOC dissension over
the law, Uribe's insistence that the law apply to all illegal
armed groups, and growing pressure from the international
community for a strong legal framework. Chances of the GOC
responding positively to this latest communique are remote.
References to dealing with a "new" GOC resurrect FARC
attempts to manipulate the re-election issue. End comment.


4. (U) Begin informal translation:

Communique of the FARC

The families of our prisoners of war are increasingly anxious
and unhappy with the Government of Colombia for freezing any
possibility of a humanitarian exchange, mediated by important
people, the Catholic Church or the international community.
They are also unhappy with the government's subsequent
attempt to blackmail the FARC with the unfair extradition of
Simon Trinidad to the United States. They know that, without
the return of Simon to Colombia, the possibility of a swap
agreement remains remote. The blame for this falls on Alvaro
Uribe and his government team.

Our prisoner swap proposal, well-known both here and abroad,
remains unchangeable. We are disposed to appear with our
spokesmen in the municipalities of Pradera and Florida
municipalities in Valle de Cauca Department. Once those
locations become demilitarized, our goal to create, sign and
carry out an agreement to turn over a group of hostages would
depend on the government's release of all guerrillas held in
custody, including Simon Trinidad, Ricardo Gonzalez and
Sonia.

With respect to the grotesque Law of Truth, Justice and
Reparation, or the Law of Justice and Peace, the government
is hoping to satisfy the demands of narco-paramilitary gangs
with their enormous fortunes amassed by blood and fire. At
the same time, they conceal crimes against humanity with
impunity and screen the State's complicity in those crimes,
as demonstrated convincingly in the case of Mapiripan.

-- The cynical law proposal, presented by the Government
under the umbrella of the Democratic Security policy, only
benefits criminals and the terrorist state. The latter is
the primary instigator of the massacres, murders,
disappearances and forced displacement endured daily by
hundreds of people, humble country folk, the population of
our Fatherland.

-- Whatever the latest maneuvers of the current paramilitary
government may be, the state and governing class will pay for
the political genocide against more than five thousand
participants of the Patriotic Union, the Communist Party and
other social and popular organizations.

The revolutionary guerrillas of the FARC have started,
developed, and now participate in the legitimate fight of the
people against inequities, be they societal, political,
economic, or cultural, denied by the State and its rulers
over the last 40 years. The attempt to compare the
insurgency, constructed as an armed political movement
against the State, with bands of mercenaries serving the
interests of the oligarchy and its government Reign is an
outrage perpetuated by the Government as a way to distance
themselves from the longings of peace, social justice,
sovereignty, and independence of the national majority.

Future dialogues between the new Government and the FARC
towards the quest for definitive and lasting peace are
predicated on the recognition of our identity as an armed
revolutionary political body of the people, separate from the
governing regime, where a National Constituent Assembly
should ratify agreements.

Secretariat of the Central Command of the FARC

SIPDIS
Mountains of Colombia, February 25, 2005

End text.
WOOD

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