GOC-ELN TALKS TO RESUME IN JANUARY; PARTIES SAID

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 011305 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2016 TAGS: PTER PGOV PHUM MARR CO SUBJECT: GOC-ELN TALKS TO RESUME IN JANUARY; PARTIES SAID TO BE WORKING ON JOINT PEACE PLAN REF: BOGOTA 11045 Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer Reason: 1.4 (b,d) -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) GOC-ELN civil society guarantor Moritz Akerman told us the peace talks will resume January 15-20 in Havana. Akerman and Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo's advisor, Dario Mejia, told us the parties had agreed on an outline of a joint text that would be discussed in January, although in Akerman's version the scope of the accord is greater. Mejia said a recent guarantor road map was heavily influenced by the ELN, and Restrepo had advised against its publication. Still, the road map may have kept momentum going after the ELN's unwillingness to meet in December. End summary. -------------- Talks Resume in January -------------- ¶2. (C) Akerman told us the next session of GOC-ELN talks will take place January 15-20 in Havana. Akerman said the ELN decided to postpone the previously scheduled mid-December talks because it wanted to see how weak the GOC would get as a result of the "para-politician" controversy. Mejia claimed ELN leaders were focused on resolving internal differences. The ELN publicly said it would not be able to make the December schedule for administrative and logistical reasons. -------------- Parties Said to Agree on Outlines of Accord -------------- ¶3. (C) Akerman reported that Galan and Restrepo had agreed on the outlines of a joint peace accord that both sides hoped to flesh out over the next few weeks and present to the January 15-20 session. The tentative accord addressed: ceasefire and related technical preparations, displaced people, ELN financing, ELN regional political activity, release of ELN kidnap victims, and demining. Mejia told us the accord outline was narrower, covering displaced people, demining, and a ceasefire. -------------- Guarantor Proposal May Have Helped -------------- ¶4. (C) On December 11, the civil society guarantors published a road map for the next phase of the negotiations (reftel). Mejia said the GOC saw the guarantor text shortly before it was published but did not provide input; the text appeared to have a heavy ELN influence. Mejia contended the text made no reference to ELN disarmament or demobilization, and provided for ELN prisoners to be released before ELN kidnap victims. Restrepo had advised against its publication, preferring to keep talks private. Separately, Akerman disagreed with Mejia, saying Restrepo made substantive edits to the text. Akerman insisted the proposal addressed disarmament, demobilization, and simultaneous release of prisoners and victims. The text is vague enough to encompass different interpretations. Still, the publication may have helped maintain momentum in the wake of the ELN's unwillingness to meet in mid-December. -------------- Venezuela's Marginal Role -------------- ¶5. (C) Mejia said the GOC regarded as potentially helpful Chavez' designation of Tachira Governor Diosdao Cabello as the GOV representative to the talks. Cabello was close to Chavez and, as Chavez' personal representative in the talks, could play a positive role. Akerman was more critical of Cabello, saying he was already being unhelpful. WOOD