ACCUSATIONS OF COLMIL THIRD BRIGADE FOOD

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 006681

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/19/2015
TAGS: PHUM PREL CO MOPS PTER
SUBJECT: ACCUSATIONS OF COLMIL THIRD BRIGADE FOOD
CONFISCATIONS AGAINST INNOCENT CIVILIANS IN CAUCA APPEAR
NOT WARRANTED


Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


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SUMMARY
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1. (C) Patricia Dahl, New York affiliate director of
Wisconsin-based human rights NGO, Colombia Support Network
(CSN),met with the Embassy on June 27 to discuss alleged
food confiscations by the Colombian Military Third Brigade
against civilian groups in Alta Naya, Cauca Department. Dahl
was accompanied by Paez (or "Nasa") indigenous governor of
Alta Naya, Enrique Guetio. Although the Third Brigade has
admitted confiscating food from community bodegas and private
homes, they insist the items in question -- which included
gasoline and drug precursor chemicals -- have been routinely
given to the FARC for drug processing. Guetio admitted to
Emboffs that the items taken by the Third Brigade were used
for drug processing by his tribe, and accused Afro-Colombians
and farmers (or "campesinos") in the area of doing the same.
However, he declined to say whether these items were given to
the FARC as the Third Brigade alleges. End Summary.

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CONFISCATIONS
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2. (C) Dahl, a vocal critic of U.S. policy, compared Plan
Colombia to USG efforts in Iraq, calling both "evidence of
U.S. human rights violations." She alleged that civilians
living in Cauca are "forced" to grow illicit crops for
economic reasons, and accused COLMIL of having a "free pass"
to confiscate. Dahl displayed a letter she received written
in Spanish and dated February 16, 2005 from Brigadier General
Perez Molina (Third Brigade Commander) saying that the
confiscations were done because they believed the materials
found in private homes and bodegas were given to the FARC for
drug processing. Guetio admitted that his people -- as well
as Afro-Colombian and campesino groups in the area -- are
directly involved with illicit crop cultivation, were keeping
food, gasoline, and drug precursor chemicals in private homes
and bodegas shared by the whole community, but declined to
say whether there was any connection with indigenous or other
communities to the FARC. He said a police report
("denuncio") was submitted in early February to the local
Procurador's office regarding confiscated items taken on
January 20, but no investigation had been conducted. Guetio
accused the Third Brigade of forcing illicit crop growers to
"pay taxes" on precursor chemicals and gasoline.

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SECURITY
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3. (C) Guetio insisted COLMIL was not securing the peace.
He claimed the COLMIL was attacking indigenous in the area.
Guetio asserted the April 2005 FARC attack on the population
in Toribio as orchestrated by COLMIL. He gave no specific
information to substantiate this claim. Guetio mentioned
that he met with Third Brigade Lt. Col. Bayron Gabriel
Carvajal about security and food confiscations in April. He
said the meeting was cordial but yielded little.

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FUMIGATION
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4. (C) Guetio and Dahl asserted fumigation in Cauca has hurt
children and livestock, as well as destroyed crops. Neither
had specifics with the exception of a case from 1993 where
Guetio claimed 23 children and several animals were killed.
Guetio said an investigation was never completed by the
Fiscalia due to pressure by the FARC and GOC who did not want
details of the case released.
WOOD