CARAMAGNA EXPRESSES CONCERNS ABOUT GOC-AUC PEACE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 005805 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2016 TAGS: KJUS PGOV PINR PREL PTER CO SUBJECT: CARAMAGNA EXPRESSES CONCERNS ABOUT GOC-AUC PEACE PROCESS Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Sergio Caramagna, Director of the Mission to Support the Peace Process in Colombia (MAPP/OAS),told the Ambassador on 23 June that nothing had united AUC leaders more than the Constitutional Court's mid-May press release that previewed the Court's views on the Justice and Peace Law. Caramagna said Minister of Interior and Justice SabasPretelt said in a recent meeting with AUC leaders that the GOC would seek to preserve the "core principles" of the Justice and Peace Law in the event of an "adverse" Court ruling. Caramagna warned AUC leaders were concerned that over 200 middle ranking demobilized paramilitaries were "waiting for the process to fail." Moreover, paramilitaries were watching closely for any additional benefits the GOC is willing to offer to the ELN and the FARC, in the expectation they would benefit from the same terms. End summary. -------------- -- GOC ATTEMPTS TO ALLEVIATE AUC LEADERS' CONCERNS -------------- -- ¶2. (C) Caramagna told the Ambassador he was surprised that all the AUC leaders and their legal advisers, including paramilitary leader "Aleman" who had negotiated separately from the other AUC leaders, had attended a meeting with the GOC on June 17 (see septel for a read out of a follow up meeting AUC leaders had with the National Reconciliation and Reparations Commission). Nothing had united AUC leaders more than the Constitutional Court's mid-May press release that previewed the Court's views on the Justice and Peace Law. Caramagna said it was irresponsible for the Court to make public its preliminary observations on the law, since it hit on several sensitive subjects. Caramagna insisted, however, that no official accords were made between the GOC and AUC leaders on such things as prison terms, reparations, and political status. ¶3. (C) Caramagna said Peace Commissioner Restrepo never said a word during the seven-hour meeting, instead acting as if he were a subordinate to Pretelt. The relationship between Restrepo and Preteltwas progressively getting worse. According to Carmagna, Pretelt blamed Restrepo for inundating the system with over 12,000 more demobilized paramilitaries than the GOC had originally estimated, and Restrepo blamed Pretelt for making promises to the paramilitaries that the GOC could not deliver. ¶4. (C) Caramagna said Pretelt defended the core principles of the J&P Law, saying the GOC would seek to preserve them in the event of an "adverse" Court ruling. On extradition, Pretelt insisted that demobilized paramilitaries must abide completely by the principles of the J&P Law to avoid extradition. According to Caramagna, it is unclear if the AUC leaders left satisfied with Pretelt's assurances, "but at least they did not leave the negotiating table." ¶5. (C) Caramagna said the AUC's military structure has been dismantled. This was confirmed by several AUC leaders, who privately told Caramagna their men no longer report or even respond to them. Caramagna said that Vicente Castano was concerned that over 200 middle ranking demobilized paramilitaries were "waiting for the process to fail." Castano warned that these individuals are threatening to attack the State and return to kidnapping to achieve political recognition from the government. Castano, however, said this could still be prevented. -------------- DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT OF ELN TROUBLESOME -------------- ¶6. (C) According to Caramagna, paramilitaries are watching closely for any additional benefits the GOC is willing to offer to the ELN and the FARC, in the expectation they would also benefit from the more generous peace terms. Any such benefits could endanger the paramilitary peace process. He described President Uribe's comment in May that the GOC would consider another judicial framework with the ELN as a "bomb" to theta4D$Q