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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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