GUARANTORS SAY ELN CONGRESS DECIDED TO ACCEPT GOC

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 008649 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/19/2016 TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL MARR PHUM CO SUBJECT: GUARANTORS SAY ELN CONGRESS DECIDED TO ACCEPT GOC CEASE-FIRE PROPOSAL REF: A. BOGOTA 8284 ¶B. BOGOTA 7917 (EXDIS) Classified By: CDA Milton K. Drucker Reason: 1.4 (b,d) -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) ELN military commander Antonio Garcia told GOC-ELN civil society guarantors Moritz Akerman and Alvaro Jimenez the ELN would accept the GOC's offer of a mutual cease-fire and would likely inform Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo during a "secret" meeting in Caracas on September ¶21. The ELN would raise three concerns with Restrepo: how would it finance itself during the peace process period, what kind of political activities would the GOC permit, and how could the GOC help the ELN defend itself from the FARC. The guarantors said they were struck by how often ELN leaders quoted verbatim from Evo Morales speeches in discussing future ELN political ambitions. End summary. -------------- -------------- ELN Accept GOC Cease-Fire Offer, Meeting with Restrepo -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) Antonio Garcia told Akerman and Jimenez the ELN's Fourth Congress, its first in 10 years, recently decided to accept the GOC's cease-fire offer (ref B),without conditions. The ELN had three "concerns" that Garcia, ELN negotiator Francisco Galan, and ELN prisoner Juan Carlos Cuellar would raise with Restrepo in Caracas during a "secret" meeting on Thursday, September 21. Restrepo told Akerman the GOC had agreed to the ELN's request to release Cuellar from Itagui prison for the Caracas talks as a goodwill gesture. The ELN would ask Restrepo how it would finance itself during a peace process, what kind of ELN political activity the GOC would permit, and how the GOC would help the ELN protect itself "and its communities" from the FARC. ¶3. (C) Akerman said the Venezuelan government would inaugurate the ELN-Restrepo meeting, after which its representatives would withdraw and leave the parties alone to talk. The guarantors would be in an adjoining room and would be called if required. Cuellar would meet alone with Garcia and Galan before the ELN group met with Restrepo. The talks would be unlimited in scope and time, although Jimenez said they would likely conclude by Sunday, September 24. Akerman and Jimenez said they expected the ELN to inform Restrepo in Caracas of its decision to accept the cease-fire. -------------- -- Leadership, Political Decisions at ELN Congress -------------- -- ¶4. (C) Garcia told Akerman the ELN Congress confirmed "Gabino" as the ELN's leader but re-elected Garcia as the Central Command's (COCE) second most influential member. Also re-elected to the COCE was Pablo Beltran. Garcia would not discuss the remaining two slots on the COCE, ostensibly for security reasons. Akerman and Jimenez said this suggested pro-Cuban hardliner and COCE member Ramiro Vargas may have been sidelined. ¶5. (C) Akerman said the Congress also decided the ELN would count its "sympathizers" in its estimate of ELN supporters. Akerman suggested this could be viewed as an effort to boost flagging ELN numbers before any demobilization talks, or as an attempt to begin forging a political movement. Jimenez described Garcia's long analysis of ELN ideology and said the ELN Congress had shifted its emphasis from the need for "socialism" in Colombia, to stressing they were Colombians first, ELN members second. He argued this shift was important because Garcia alluded to the ELN accepting the legitimacy of a government that was not "socialist." -------------- - ELN Political Ambitions, Evo Morales Influence -------------- - ¶6. (C) The guarantors said their discussions with Garcia, Galan, and others had persuaded them that the ELN's political objective was to serve as a catalyst for a "social movement" like that started by Bolivian President Evo Morales, rather than run ELN candidates for election. Akerman and Jimenez said they were surprised at how often ELN figures have brought up the Morales example in recent meetings. The guarantors said, "they know Morales' speeches by heart." The ELN knew it had minimal support in Colombia and would not form a separate political party or try to ally with leftist parties. It wanted the establishment of up to 10 "Casas de Paz" in major cities, as well as the right for ELN leaders to proselytize freely throughout Colombia. ¶7. (C) The ELN had not addressed disarmament with the guarantors, but Akerman planned a workshop in Medellin at which the GOC and ELN would work on options to place the ELN's arms "beyond use." The guarantors said the first six months of a cease-fire would be focused on building confidence between the parties. The second six months would allow the ELN to participate in political activities if the GOC were satisfied the ELN had subjected its weapons to some kind of verifiable international supervision. DRUCKER