MEETING WITH INSPECTOR GENERAL MAYA

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 001082

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2016
TAGS: PGOV KJUS SNAR PINR CO
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH INSPECTOR GENERAL MAYA


Classified By: DCM Milton K. Drucker, Reasons: 1.4 B & D.


1. (C) Summary: Inspector General (Procurador General)
Edgardo Maya told poloff on February 1 that he expected the
Constitutional Court to affirm the legality of the Justice
and Peace law. In Maya's opinion, President Uribe was
breaking campaign rules in order to provoke opposition
criticism and subsequently play the "victim" card. A
long-time member of the Officialist Liberal Party (PLC),Maya
predicted former President and party head Cesar Gaviria would
not make a last minute attempt to challenge Uribe in May.
End Summary.


2. (C) In a lunch meeting with poloff on February 1,
Inspector General Edgardo Maya Villazon said he expected the
Constitutional Court to uphold the Justice and Peace Law.
Maya said his office would submit a brief to the court in
favor of striking down the law, but admitted that the court
would approve the law for "political reasons." He continued
that since the Court had approved the reform to allow
reelection, it would have no choice but to bless the law,
which many viewed as a pillar of the Uribe Presidency.


3. (C) Maya said President Uribe was regularly breaking
campaign rules as established in the Electoral Guarantees
Law, in particular in his use of state assets (such as the
Presidential Palace) and the TV transmission of weekend
community councils. According to Maya, Uribe was doing so in
order to provoke opposition outcry and then turn the tables
by playing the "victim card." Regarding transmission of the
President's most recent community council event by two cable
TV channels, Maya said the Administration gave the entire
feed, allegedly filmed by GOC camera operators using GOC
equipment, directly to the stations, in violation of
prohibitions on using state assets to promote reelection. He
nevertheless admitted that the entities charged with
investigating electoral complaints were notoriously slow and
extremely unlikely to overturn a presidential election
result.


4. (C) Regarding the Presidential contest, Maya felt certain
of an Uribe victory. However, he quipped that this would be
Colombia's first and last immediate reelection, arguing that
the public would soon grow tired of Uribe's "heavy-handed
style." A long-time member of the Liberal Party, Maya
doubted that former President and current party head Cesar
Gaviria would enter the contest at the last minute, as some
commentators have speculated.


5. (C) Comment: Maya is an adamant political foe of Uribe,
and he continues to show it both publicly and privately. He
is a regular spokesman for leading political heavyweights in
the anti-Uribe camp. He had asked the Constitutional Court
to overturn reelection and was handily shot down. His
comments need to be viewed in that light. However, his
observation that Justice and Peace will almost certainly be
upheld by the Court is noteworthy. End Comment.


6. (C) Biographical notes: Maya has publicly supported Plan
Colombia activities and in particular aerial fumigation,
including in national parks. He has been critical, however,
of the extension of full immunity to U.S. military personnel
assigned to Colombia. A native of Valledupar, Maya is the
first Inspector General to be selected by the Senate for a
second term. He is the widower of former GOC Culture
Minister Consuelo Araujo, who was kidnapped and killed by the
FARC during the Pastrana Administration. He is the
step-father of current Cesar Governor Hernando Molina
(Araujo's son by an earlier marriage).
WOOD

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Classified By: DCM Milton K. Drucker, Reasons: 1.4 B...