PERU: NARCOTICS AFFAIRS SECTION, APRIL 2005

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 LIMA 002111 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR INL/LP STATE FOR WHA/PPC ONDCP FOR D. GEDDINGS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR KCRM ASEC PREL PE SUBJECT: PERU: NARCOTICS AFFAIRS SECTION, APRIL 2005 REF: A. LIMA 1712 ¶B. LIMA 1794 ¶C. LIMA 1929 ¶D. LIMA 1471 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) On April 7, CORAH started eradication in the hard-core zone of Polvora-Pizana north of Santa Lucia in the Huallaga Valley. The eradicators and their police security units encountered stiff resistance by some cocaleros, including rock-throwing that damaged 3 INL helicopters in 2 separate incidents. On April 12, suspected Sendero Luminoso (SL) terrorists ambushed several helicopters that had landed on a riverbed sandbar waiting to extract CORAH eradicators. Several police were slightly wounded, but no one was killed. On April 24, a rural dwelling near the ambush site occupied by family of a suspected SL leader was raided resulting in nine arrests and seizure of a weapons cache. The yearly eradication total now stands at 1,305 hectares. The AT-65 Turbo Thrush aircraft arrived in Peru on April 30 and will start searching for opium poppy fields. ¶2. (U) The GOP has not yet published implementing regulations for a precursor chemical law passed by the Peruvian Congress almost a year ago. The long-awaited MOU for the Seaport Security Program's Manifest Review Unit in Callao was signed by representatives of NAS, the Peruvian Police and Peruvian Customs. The NAS Programs Office facilitated an OAS-sponsored trafficking-in-persons seminar in Lima. In addition, NAS has identified 8 NGOs to participate in a new demand-reduction strategy that involves civil society in building community coalitions. The USDA is proposing research on pesticide use and persistence in the coca regions. (END SUMMARY) -------------- ERADICATION EFFORTS IGNITE LOCAL OPPOSITION -------------- ¶3. (U) On April 7-8, an airlift of 250 eradicators, 80 police, and 1 fiscal was conducted as part of the eradication operation in the Polvora-Pizana area north of Santa Lucia. All available helicopters were used -- 13 UH-1s and UH-2s. This was the largest CN air operation conducted to date. The threat level in this area was a major concern because of the hostile cocaleros. ¶4. (U) As anticipated, eradication of the burgeoning new coca plantations in Pizana has generated major confrontations between the police and cocaleros. The cocaleros appear to be well organized and prepared to launch sling-thrown rocks to damage helicopters. Their strategy is to target the last helicopter to leave the area since it is the most vulnerable to attack. A shotgun was fired at the police and rocks were thrown at personnel and helicopters. Two police were slightly wounded and 2 helicopter blades were hit by rocks (Refs A and B) in this confrontation. ¶5. (SBU) Three UH-1s were ambushed on April 12 in a riverbed as they waited to extract eradication personnel. The helicopters were hit 52 times by small arms fire. Two UH-1s suffered extensive damage and one had to be sling-hauled by a PNP MI-17 helicopter back to the Santa Lucia base. No one was wounded or killed. The Sendero Luminoso (SL) is suspected of being involved in the attack (Refs C and D). ¶6. (SBU) The GOP has responded with area sweeps and a few seizures of weapons, but the worsening situation has forced the Police to reconsider strategy to pushback against the violence in the region. Eradication has slowed dramatically, but continues -- a measure of current GOP commitment to continue eradication efforts. -------------- RESPONDING TO HELICOPTER ATTACK -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Following the ambush of three NAS helicopters in the Huamuco area on April 12, NAS asked the Aviation Police (DIRAVPOL) General De la Flor verbally and by letter for a formal report and investigation of the attack. The PNP informed us they were conducting an inquiry on how the incident occurred and agreed to review standard operating and safety procedures to improve security. NAS Aviation conducted a safety stand-down for INL helicopters after the incident to review procedures. (See Refs A-C for reporting on the helicopter attack and its aftermath.) -------------- --- POLICE CAPTURE TERRORISTS, DESTROY COCAINE LABS -------------- --- ¶8. (SBU) On April 24, in an area about 1 km away from the helicopter ambush, DIRANDRO Special Operations personnel, with police intelligence support, raided a suspected SL residence of a senior SL leader. Police arrested nine persons, of whom four were directly linked to the terrorist organization. They seized an array of weapons, including three high-power rifles, four shotguns, hand grenades, and ammunition of different calibers (Ref C). The police also destroyed four active cocaine-base laboratories situated nearby. -------------- COORDINATING ERADICATION EFFORTS -------------- ¶9. (U) USAID and DEVIDA are urging the inter-institutional committee (members also include CORAH, CADA, and GOP law enforcement agencies) to do rapid-strike eradication in the VRAE and Huanuco to reinforce voluntary eradication. The committee is coordinating with the GOP to clarify the status of "ENACO certificates" being used by cocaleros to avoid eradication. NAS met with the UN to discuss coca estimates and a public response to the CNC figures. NAS also met with the OAS/CICAD and ICT to coordinate their activities and to discuss the upcoming "Acceso" Cacao Conference on June 2-3. -------------- POLICE ACADEMIES GRADUATE NEW OFFICERS -------------- ¶10. (U) On May 12, nearly 100 new police officers will graduate from each of the Santa Lucia and Mazamari Police Academies. The graduates will be immediately assigned to DIRANDRO's eradication security and the special operations groups as well as the newly created road interdiction group. -------------- Eradication Numbers and CADA Update -------------- ¶11. (U) As of April 28, CORAH eradicated 214 hectares and 2,754 square meters of seedbeds, making a total for the year of 1,305 hectares and 18,015 square meters of seedbeds (over 1,200 hectares if planted.) ¶12. (U) CADA continues to measure coca fields in support of USAID's Alternative Development Program (ADP) and recently finished quantification of coca in ADP areas in Ucayali, using Chemonics-furnished imagery. Two CADA engineers will participate in the poppy mapping with the AT-65 Turbo Thrush surveillance plane. -------------- AVIATION: TURBO THRUSH ARRIVES IN PERU -------------- ¶13. (U) The RARE aircraft (AT-65 Turbo Thrush) arrived in Iquitos, Peru from Colombia on April 30 after a month of delays; it overnighted in Iquitos because of weather before proceeding on to Pucallpa to begin aerial reconnaissance of opium poppy fields in the Jaen area. -------------- -------------- PRECURSOR CHEMICAL LAW STILL AWAITS IMPLEMENTATION -------------- -------------- ¶14. (SBU) After months of Ministerial wrangling, the Prime Minister decided that the Ministry of Production should be given the responsibility for maintaining the registry of sales and use of chemicals that will be used detect the diversion of chemicals to narcotics production. The Ministry of Interior, which had hoped to assume that responsibility, has not accepted the decision and is now delaying the implementation process. -------------- -------------- FUNDING FOR STUDY AT INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL CROPS (ICT) -------------- -------------- ¶15. (U) DEA approved funding of a coca yield study in the Cuzco region to complement the five areas previously studied. In early May, a group of USDA scientists will be coming to Peru to evaluate the possibility of conducting a five-year research program using ICT's facilities in Tarapoto. The research would focus on pesticide use and persistence. A separate study of cacao management is also being proposed. -------------- -------------- SEAPORT SECURITY: SIGNING OF MOU FOR MANIFEST REVIEW UNIT -------------- -------------- ¶16. (U) On April 1, the bilateral MOU for the Manifest Review Unit (MRU) was signed. The MOU is intended to formalize bilateral cooperation of the port and cargo security program. Peru's main seaport of Callao is home to this model MRU and K-9 unit. This bilateral agreement is the product of almost a year of negotiations between the Embassy and GOP counterparts. Future plans include the expansion of the MRU program to other strategic seaports such as Paita, Chimbote, and Matarani. Attendees at the signing ceremony included the Director General of the PNP, the Peruvian Customs Commissioner, and the NAS Director. ¶17. (U) On April 27, the NAS Deputy Director and the Maritime and Riverine Program Officer met with Jose Luis Noriega Lores, President of Peru's Port Administration Entity (ENAPU),to discuss the creation of an MRU at the port of Paita. The Paita MRU would be modeled after the Callao MRU. Noriega was supportive and said his chief of port security would accompany the NAS-sponsored port security delegation during their visit to Paita on May 5. -------------- - NAS FACILITATED SUCCESSFUL OAS SEMINAR ON TIP -------------- - ¶18. (U) On April 28-29, the OAS and the GOP's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) hosted a seminar on trafficking in persons (TIP). NAS worked closely with OAS in Washington to facilitate the agenda and overall organization of the seminar. The seminar, featuring speakers from Japan, Panama (2),Colombia, Spain, and the Dominican Republic, garnered high-level GOP participation and significant media interest, including good coverage of the Ambassador's remarks. Participants came from a variety of GOP ministries, the press, four international organizations, and eleven NGOs. See septel. ¶19. (U) The goal of the seminar was to generate a set of recommendations for a national action plan on TIP. With that goal in mind, NAS promoted the concept of facilitated working groups in an attempt of avoid "talking heads" and no clear outcomes. The reactions of the participants were positive and the results constructive. ¶20. (U) The OAS sparked some controversy with the presentation of a rapid assessment study on trafficking from Latin America to Japan. Prior to the seminar the Japanese delivered a demarche to the OAS strongly objecting to the study and its negative portrayal of Japan's anti-TIP efforts. The author of the study, OAS consultant and Japanese professor Kaname Tsutsumi, presented her conclusions publicly for the first time at the seminar. The GOJ brought its TIP expert from Japan to challenge the findings of the OAS study. The study can be found at www.oas.org/atip/reports/. -------------- - NEXT STEPS FOR ANTI-DRUG COMMUNITY COALITIONS -------------- - ¶21. (U) NAS is moving forward on implementing anti-drug community coalitions based on the successful U.S. model. Eduardo Hernandez, who is with Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA),visited Peru April 25-27 to discuss training and implementation of coalitions with eight NGOs selected by NAS. Prior to his visit, NAS Program personnel briefed each NGO extensively on what coalition building entails, which is quite different from their current approach. A key message to the NGOs was that the concept or framework of community coalitions should be valid worldwide, but the implementation of the concept is particular to each country. ¶22. (U) CADCA will conduct a two-day training session on June 6-7, with two additional days set aside for individual consultations. At the end of the June training, the NGOs will be equipped with a blueprint for the initial step in developing coalitions. The NGOs should identify an area to work in and the community leaders who could form the coalition. CADCA and NAS will evaluate the NGOs' proposals in early August. On August 15-16, there will be another CADCA training session before the NGOs actually begin coalition building. CADCA will work closely with the NGO OPCION to organize the training sessions and handle logistics. STRUBLE