ELN NEGOTIATOR TO MEET WITH CANADIAN, DUTCH

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 002657

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/2016
TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL CO
SUBJECT: ELN NEGOTIATOR TO MEET WITH CANADIAN, DUTCH
AMBASSADORS PRIOR TO RESUMPTION OF PEACE TALKS IN MAY

REF: A. BOGOTA 2307 (NOTAL)


B. BOGOTA 2127 (NOTAL)

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

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Summary
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1. (C) GOC-ELN civil society guarantors Moritz Akerman and
Alvaro Jimenez outlined March 23 the new schedule for the
third round of peace talks in Cuba. ELN negotiator and
military commander Antonio Garcia plans to arrive in Colombia
from Cuba on April 17 to meet with civil society groups in
Medellin through April 21. The guarantors said the Canadian
and Dutch Ambassadors would meet privately (and separately)
with Garcia in Medellin. Garcia travels to Bogota April
21-24 to meet with the Catholic Episcopal Conference, before
returning to Medellin April 24 for a few days. He departs
Colombia for Cuba on April 28. The ELN will meet Colombian
civil society groups in Havana May 2-5. The third round of
talks resume on May 7 and are scheduled to last through May

12. Akerman said subsequent rounds could be held in
Colombia. End summary.

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ELN Negotiator Expected to Arrive in Colombia from Cuba
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2. (C) Akerman and Jimenez told D/Polcouns March 23 that ELN
military commander and peace talks negotiator Antonio Garcia
planned to travel to Colombia from Cuba on April 17. Garcia
intends to talk to civil society groups at the House of Peace
("Casa de Paz") in Medellin April 17-21 before leaving for
Bogota. The guarantors said the Canadian and Dutch
Ambassadors had agreed to visit Garcia privately (but
separately) in Medellin. Akerman said he is talking to the
Japanese Ambassador about a similar trip, but expected the
Japanese to offer to share technical expertise with the ELN
on Japan's regional health and education foreign assistance
programs rather than meet with Garcia in person. In Bogota,
Garcia will spend a few days at a conference hosted by the
Catholic Episcopal Conference before returning to Medellin on
April 24. He departs Medellin for Havana on April 28.

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The Third Round of Talks
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3. (C) The talks resume in Havana on May 2 with three days
of ELN-civil society discussions. The formal GOC-ELN session
is scheduled to last from May 7-12.


4. (C) Akerman said the recent death in Cuba of ELN
hardliner Oscar Santos would likely encourage the ELN to be
more positive in its dealings with the GOC. Santos was
informed of all developments "up to the moment of his death,"
and played a negative role during the first two rounds.
Akerman and Jimenez added that Ramiro Vargas, one of the
three ELN negotiators, "has been in Havana too long and has
lost touch with the contemporary world." They regarded
negotiators Garcia and Francisco Galan as more constructive
than Vargas.


5. (C) The guarantors said they expected pressure would grow
on the GOC and ELN to move subsequent rounds of talks from
Cuba to Colombia, provided that Garcia's April trip to
Colombia was uneventful. Akerman said he was worried about
the relationship between Garcia and Peace Commissioner
Restrepo, because both men had "stubborn and controlling
personalities".

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Different Perceptions of the Agenda
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6. (C) Akerman said the ELN and GOC have different ways of
envisioning the substantive agenda, but claimed the two sides
are not necessarily far apart. He outlined the ELN's 5
agenda items for the May round: (1) "what is peace, and how
can it be achieved"; (2) "how can civil society participate
in the peace process?"; (3) "how can the international
community participate in the peace process?"; (4) "the peace
process environment, including cease fire issues"; and (5)
"procedures or modalities." The GOC, on the other hand, was
focused on cease fire as the first agenda item, followed by
consideration of the ELN's call for a "National Convention"
that would address social questions. In Akerman's view, if
the GOC is patient it could work with the ELN on its first
three agenda items, mostly listening, before getting to the
ELN's fourth point, cease fire, which is close to the GOC's
initial objective.

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Support, Concerns
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7. (C) Akerman and Jimenez said most civil society groups
associated with the peace process are constructive, but some
argue the ELN should not do anything to help President Uribe
win reelection, and others go further, saying the ELN should
not negotiate unless the FARC is also at the table. (The
guarantors say they are convinced the FARC is strongly
opposed to the ELN's participation in talks with the GOC.)


WOOD