ONDCP WALTERS MEETS WITH VICE PRESIDENT SANTOS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 006406

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/AND

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/11/2016
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PREL PHUM CO EC
SUBJECT: ONDCP WALTERS MEETS WITH VICE PRESIDENT SANTOS


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

Summary
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1. (C) Walters and Santos agreed that increased spraying and
manual eradication efforts are necessary. Santos urged the
U.S. to work with the Ecuadorian government, noting Ecuador's
continued resistance to aerial spraying. Santos confirmed
the GOC wants the mandate of the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights office (UNHCHR) in Colombia to focus more on
monitoring and capacity building. He said the investigation
into the killing of 8 counternarcotics police in Jamundi was
proceeding quickly.

More Coca Eradication Needed
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2. (C) ONDCP Walters met with Vice President Santos on July
10 to discuss joint U.S.-Colombian coca eradication efforts.
INL A/S Anne Patterson, WHA PDAS Charles Shapiro, Ambassador
Wood and ONDCP staff also participated. Santos noted
concerns about the recent UN study claiming that, despite
eradication efforts, more hectares were under cultivation
than ever before in Colombia. Walters responded that the UN
had historically underestimated hectares under production and
that the study merely justified the UN's reconciliation of
the numbers with reality (and U.S. statistics). All agreed
large areas of Colombian territory continue to be used to
grow coca and that increased joint eradication efforts are
needed. Santos said President Uribe not only wants to
continue aerial eradication, but also wants to increase its
intensity, hitting the same areas multiple times a year.

Be Nice to Our Difficult Neighbor, Ecuador
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3. (C) Santos relayed GOC concerns about the instability of
the Ecuadorian government and several bilateral issues,
including continued requests for additional studies on the
safety of glyphosate. He also speculated that more drugs are
transiting Ecuador on their way to the U.S. ONDCP Walters
said the USG was doing what it could to turn off the study
and urged Colombia to do the same. All agreed that the
Ecuadorian study request was disingenuous as the Ecuadorian
agriculture sector uses glyphosate in large quantities.
Santos noted that the period before the Ecuadorian elections
in October is critical and urged the U.S. to continue to work
with the Palacios government in the coming months.

Human Rights: UNHCHR Mandate and Jamundi
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4. (C) The Ambassador noted concerns in Washington about the
UNHCHR mandate and the May 22 killing of police by the Army
in Jamundi. Santos said many in the NGO and UN world would
likely be upset by the GOC's decision to renegotiate UNHCHR's
mandate. He stressed the GOC believed it could work with new
UNHCHR representative Juan Pablo Corlazzoli. Santos said he
wanted to change the focus of the office to increase
monitoring and local capacity building. Santos was pleased
Army members involved in the Jamundi killings had been
arrested and said the investigation was proceeding quickly.
Santos added that the GOC would invest in an overhaul of the
military justice system as a result.
WOOD