GAVIRIA THINKS FARC BEHIND SISTER'S MURDER, LIKELY

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 004223

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2016
TAGS: PTER KCRM PGOV CO
SUBJECT: GAVIRIA THINKS FARC BEHIND SISTER'S MURDER, LIKELY
TO RESIGN AS LIBERAL CHIEF, SAYS SERPA CAMPAIGN POOR

REF: A. BOGOTA 4141


B. BOGOTA 3773

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Milton K. Drucker
Reason: 1.4 (b,d)

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Summary
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1. (C) Former President and Liberal Party chief Cesar
Gaviria agreed with the GOC that the FARC appears to be
responsible for the murder of his sister Liliana, although he
expressed doubts about the involvement of the FARC's elite
Teofilo Forero Mobile Column. Gaviria shared a recent police
intelligence report that suggests the botched kidnap and
murder was the result of a plan hatched between the FARC's
50th front and a corrupt lawyer. The lawyer allegedly needed
substantial funds rapidly to pay off a prosecutor who had
threatened to expose the lawyer's narcotics trafficking
activities to the U.S. Embassy. Ironically, the report
states that the original kidnap victim was to have been
Gaviria's brother Luis Fernando, but his security improved
and Liliana became the next target. Gaviria plans to step
down as Liberal Party chief after the May 28 election, and
suggested that Cambio Radical leader German Vargas Lleras
would rejoin the Liberals to seek the presidency in 2010.
End summary.

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FARC Likely Behind Sister's Murder
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2. (C) Gaviria told D/polcouns May 11 he had "total
confidence" in police intelligence (DIJIN) chief General
Oscar Naranjo's investigation into the murder of Gaviria's
sister Liliana (refs A,B) and regarded the FARC as the likely
culprits. Gaviria expressed considerable surprise, however,
at the apparent amateurish kidnapping effort and suggested
that the FARC's elite Teofilo Forero Mobile Column (TFMC)
might not have ordered the kidnapping.


3. (C) Gaviria gave D/polcouns a copy of a recent DIJIN
report that presented a rather different version of FARC
involvement. The report (copy shared with law enforcement
agencies at post) alleges the following: a lawyer named
Roberto Londono Velez, based in Armenia, Quindio Department,
was associated with narcotics trafficking and, along with two
other Armenia lawyers, came to the attention of the Fiscalia
(Prosecutor General's office). In early 2005 investigators
raided the lawyers' offices and found significant quantities
of information that allegedly proved the narcotics
trafficking activities, including by Londono Velez. The
attorney hired by Londono Velez met with local prosecutor
Juan Carlos Lopez, and was surprised to be offered a deal:
pay the prosecutor off and get the case dismissed and the
seized materials returned. The prosecutor wanted 1.7 billion
pesos in cash (about $750,000) to dismiss the case.


4. (C) According to the report, Londono Velez hired attorney
Clara Ines Ramirez Vallejo to continue bribe negotiations
with the prosecutor after his initial attorney resigned.
Ramirez Vallejo shared an Armenia office and telephone with
Gaviria's brother, Luis Fernando Gaviria Trujillo. Ramirez
Vallejo reached a deal with prosecutor Juan Carlos Lopez,
which obligated Londono Velez to pay a substantial amount to
his attorney and the prosecutor; money he did not have.


5. (C) The DIJIN report says Londono Velez became aware that
Gaviria's brother Luis Fernando had opened an office in
Pereira and traveled there frequently, always without
bodyguards or armored vehicles. Londono Velez hatched a plan
to kidnap Luis Fernando and sell him to the FARC. Londono
Velez met with FARC 50th front leaders beginning in October
2005 and agreed on a payment of $3 million for the
kidnapping. Londono Velez subsequently told the FARC that
Luis Fernando had returned to Bogota and had additional
security, and concluded the kidnapping would be difficult.
Londono Velez told the FARC he would instead kidnap Gaviria's
sister Liliana, pay prosecutor Juan Carlos Lopez with the
proceeds of the FARC payment, and flee to Argentina to avoid
being extradited to the U.S. Prosecutor Juan Carlos Lopez
was transferred to Bogota and threatened Londono Velez with
exposure of his narcotics crimes to the U.S. Embassy unless
he was paid, after which Londono Velez decided to go ahead
with the kidnapping of Liliana Gaviria. Londono Velez rushed
the job and contracted with people who did not know the area,
resulting in the botched kidnapping and murder.
E



6. (C) Gaviria told D/polcouns he found the DIJIN report
plausible but said he had no way of verifying the
information, and repeated that he trusted General Naranjo to
discover what really happened. (Press accounts May 12 quote
Gaviria alluding to "other hypotheses," different from the
culpability the GOC ascribed to the TFMC, which is consistent
with Gaviria's skepticism about official TFMC involvement.
Gaviria also told D/polcouns that he heard "gossip" about the
possible involvement of paramilitaries but had received no
law enforcement confirmation.)

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Uribe Friction with National Police Chief
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7. Gaviria said in March 2005 he raised with Police Chief
General Castro the Pereira police's December 2004 withdrawal
of Liliana's 4 bodyguards and armored car. Castro said he
would look into it, but he did not restore the security. The
police subsequently gave Liliana one driver, who drove her
non-armored car. This bodyguard also died in the kidnap
attempt. According to Gaviria, he told President Uribe about
this matter prior to Liliana's funeral in Pereira. Uribe
called Castro over and asked him if the story was accurate.
Castro confirmed that it was, and Uribe said he wanted
General Naranjo to add the matter to his investigation.
Gaviria said Castro objected because Naranjo was his
subordinate, at which point Uribe told him he could leave the
conversation.

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Gaviria Plans to Step Down, Says Campaign Lackluster
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8. (C) Gaviria said he would likely step down as Liberal
Party chief after the May 28 presidential election. He said
Liberal nominee Horacio Serpa's campaign was grinding to a
halt. At best, Serpa was running neck and neck with Polo
Democratico Alternativo nominee Carlos Gaviria, and could
even lose second place to the Polo candidate. The former
president said Serpa was unwilling to attack the Polo's
Gaviria and was listening to a "radical group" of advisors
rather than Liberal Party figures. Gaviria said he had been
a target of narcotraffickers while serving as president, and
paramilitaries after returning to Colombia to head the
Liberal Party. Adding the FARC to the list was the last
straw. Gaviria said he planned to stay in Colombia and
remain in public life through newspaper columns.


9. (C) Gaviria said Cambio Radical leader German Vargas
Lleras had talked to him privately about returning to the
Liberal Party. Gaviria expects Vargas Lleras to make the
move, but not immediately. According to Gaviria, Vargas
Lleras is anxious to be elected president in 2010 and expects
his relationship with Uribe to be testy at best after Uribe's
reelection. ("U" Party leader Juan Manuel Santos told
polcouns on May 9 that arch rival Vargas Lleras had told him
that he wants to remain within the coalition of parties
supporting President Uribe.)

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Comment
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10. (C) Gaviria appeared emotionally exhausted and tears
welled up in his eyes several times when he discussed the
investigation into his sister's murder. His disillusion with
the Serpa campaign was unmistakable, but it remains to be
seen whether his decision to step down as Liberal chief is
related to his frustration with recent developments or is due
to pessimism about the Liberal Party's longer term prospects.

WOOD