INDIGENOUS PROTESTS TO BLOCK PAN AMERICAN HIGHWAY

S E C R E T BOGOTA 004752

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2016
TAGS: PHUM PREF PGOV PTER CO
SUBJECT: INDIGENOUS PROTESTS TO BLOCK PAN AMERICAN HIGHWAY
IN PRE-ELECTION PERIOD RESULT IN ONE DEATH


Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood.
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) On May 15-19, approximately 16,000 indigenous people
and supporters in 9 Departments blocked major highways to
protest perceived GOC failure to follow through on land
agreements. The demonstrations, which GOC authorities said
were instigated and supported by the FARC, also criticized
presidential reelection and the free trade agreement. UN
High Commissioner for Refugees reps investigating the deaths
of five men who participated in the protests, met with a self
described paramilitary commander who said he would kill FARC
members and threatened protesters returning home who could
not produce national identity cards as guerrilla
collaborators. UNHCR also raised concerns about armed men in
civilian clothing apparently coordinating with security
forces during the protests. Colombian security forces are
investigating and told UNHCR they were plainclothes DIJIN
officials. End summary.

-------------- --------------
A BROAD RANGE OF INTERESTS EXPRESSED OVER A WIDE AREA
-------------- --------------


2. (U) Beginning on Monday, May 15, approximately 16,000
members of several indigenous, Afrocolombian and peasant
("campesino") associations held demonstrations in the
departments of Caldas, Cauca, Cordoba, Cundinamarca, Huila,
Narino, Putumayo, Risaralda, Tolima, and in Bogota.
Protesters said they wanted to open a dialogue with the GOC
on the issues of reelection, the Free Trade Agreement, the
Justice and Peace law, impunity in cases against indigenous
people, sovereignty of the GOC over indigenous reservations,
a lack of educational and social programs on reservations, a
desire that the GOC purchase and deliver lands where
indigenous people were squatting, transportation problems,
and rights for poor farmers in the cocaine growing trade.
The protests ended on May 19.

-------------- --------------
BLOCKING "PAN AMERICAN HIGHWAY" LEADS TO VIOLENT SCUFFLE
-------------- --------------


3. (U) On May 16, approximately 5,000 protesters at the "La
Maria" farm in Cauca Department -- controlled by indigenous
people -- set up a roadblock on the highway outside the farm.
(This "Pan American" highway connects Ecuador with Colombia
and continues northward through Narino and Cauca
departments.) Protesters stood and used rocks, tree branches
and cars to block the road, while the Ministry of Interior
and Justice issued a cease and desist order the same day.
Over the next three days, the Colombian National Police (CNP)
worked with the Anti-Riot Police (ESMAD) to enforce the order
and remove the protesters from the road. Protesters
periodically removed and replaced the roadblock from one
lane, allowing intermittent circulation of traffic while
refusing to leave the road entirely.


4. (C) On May 16, helicopters from ESMAD flew over the road
and dropped canisters of tear gas to disperse the crowd.
According to Colonel Jorge Vargas, Director of Intelligence
Collection for the CNP, the confrontation turned violent
after police were allegedly attacked with small arms fire by
the crowd, wounding several officers. Vargas claimed that
the police were not carrying firearms, only billy clubs, and
that representatives from the International Red Cross were
able to gain access to the area to treat the wounded. Juan
Carlos Gomez, Director of the Human Rights Unit for the
Ministry of Defense, said over 60 police officers were
wounded, and one was permanently paralyzed after having been
hit on the spine with a club.


5. (C) According to Ms. Filsa Arias, Director of
Communications for ONIC, one of the largest indigenous
organizations participating in the protests, the police fired
into the crowd and killed one demonstrator. Arias also
claimed none of the protesters were carrying any firearms,
though of the 83 injured 8 had firearm wounds, and that the
wounded were treated in the medical clinic on the "La Maria"
grounds or evacuated by ambulance. A final official
assessment of the number of wounded and the official cause of
death of the indigenous protester is ongoing.


--------------
GOC SENDS HIGH-LEVEL DELEGATION TO THE SCENE
--------------


6. (C) On May 19, a delegation traveled to "La Maria" that
included Minster of Justice and the Interior Sabas Pretelt,
Vice Minister of the Interior Hernan Angarita, Director of
Colombian National Police Jorge Daniel Castro, Commander of
the Army General Mario Montoya, and Director of the Vice
President's Program on Human Rights Carlos Franco. The
delegation convinced the protesters to disperse and open a
dialogue after the presidential elections on May 28.


7. (S) On May 23, Roberto Meier, the UNHCR representative for
Colombia (strictly protect) told the Embassy Refugee
Coordinator that one of his teams in Pasto (Narino
Department) heard rumors that five of the 3,500 plus
protesters, had been murdered on the way home. UNHCR reps
traveled to El Egido (approximately 2 and a half hours north
of Pasto) where local residents confirmed that the men had
been killed. Shortly afterwards, several armed men in
civilian clothes approached the UNHCR team and said the local
paramilitary commander wanted to speak to them. The UNHCR
team met "Commander Hernando Paz" whom they said was dressed
in military gear with AUC patches. Commander Paz said he was
aware of UNHCR's humanitarian activities in Pasto, as well as
the reason they came to El Egido, and had no problem with the
UNHCR. But he was aware the FARC forced some people to
participate in the protests. According to Commander Paz,
FARC collaborators did not bring their ID cards with them to
avoid detection by the authorities. UNHCR reps reported that
Commander Paz said he knew who the FARC collaborators and
active members were among the protesters, and would kill
them. He also threatened to kill those without national ID
cards (for being FARC or FARC collaborators). UNHCR is
coordinating a safe return for the protesters (which began
5/26) with the assistance of local and national government,
security forces, UNDP, IOM, the Ombudsman and OCHA.


8. (S) UNHCR Rep Meier said he and his team also saw armed
men in civilian clothing they believed to be coordinating
with security forces during the protests. Meier met
personally with Colombian Army General Avila, police and GoC
officials May 19 to discuss the issue. UNHCR shared photos
of the men with Colombian security forces who identified two
of them as plainclothes DIJIN officials. The GoC will
continue to investigate.


9. (S) On May 25, Colonel Vargas told Poloff the Police
believed the FARC coordinated the protests with local
indigenous groups for almost a month. Vargas said the FARC
told people if they didn't participate they would be fined or
wouldn't be allowed to return to their homes. Vargas said
the Police had over 60 recordings of telephone conversations
between the commanders of the south western fronts of the
FARC -- fronts 6, 8, 29, and 60 -- and leaders of the
indigenous groups, providing tactical details about where to
block the highway; how to get food, water, gas and logistical
support from operatives from the different fronts in the
field; and how to direct the protests in such a way as to
make them difficult to control or diminish. Vargas said some
of the recordings were done during the protests, while
callers were checking in to report how things were going.

--------------
Comment
--------------


10. (C) VM Angarita told Poloff the delegation was surprised
to learn that none of the issues raised by the protesters
were related to ongoing arguments over settlements for land.
Indigenous groups staged extensive demonstrations in
September and November 2005 to protest slow implementation of
previous land agreements made by the GOC. Angarita suggested
that the laundry list of complaints raised by the
demonstrators -- many of which cannot be negotiated, like the
law on presidential reelection -- was evidence that the
protests were organized to create an environment critical of
the GOC during the election period.
WOOD