GOC SEEKING HUMANITARIAN EXCHANGE WITH THE FARC

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 008946



SIPDIS



SIPDIS



E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2016

TAGS: MARR, PGOV, PREL, PTER, CO, FR, SP, SZ

SUBJECT: GOC SEEKING HUMANITARIAN EXCHANGE WITH THE FARC



REF: BOGOTA 8288



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



1. (C) Summary: The GOC continues to explore the notion of

opening talks on a humanitarian exchange with the FARC.

President Uribe wants to take such a step, but has been

constrained by the FARC,s refusal to engage GOC

interlocutors. The GOC has reached out to the group through

longtime political operator Alvaro Leyva, the three

accompanying countries, the Catholic Church, and Colombian

left-wing journalist Carlos Lozano. In an effort to

jumpstart talks, Uribe initially approved on September 7 a

Leyva proposal that the GOC announce publicly its intent to

demobilize two municipalities. His advisors later dissuaded

him from doing so, arguing it would be a mistake without

first receiving a clear message from the FARC and without

clarifying the modalities of the proposed demilitarized area.

The FARC holds 60 hostages, including three U.S. citizens;

the GOC has over 500 FARC members in prison. End Summary



2. (U) The GOC is reaching out to the FARC through longtime

FARC contact Alvaro Leyva, the three accompanying countries

(Switzerland, Spain and France),leftwing journalist and

Communist Party official Carlos Lozano, and the Catholic

Church to try to start negotiations on a humanitarian accord.

The FARC has not responded to these overtures, and on

September 26 the group reportedly told Levya and Lozano via

e-mail that it was freezing contact with them. Still, the

FARC publicly reiterated its interest in an exchange, but

demanded the GOC demilitarize Pradera and Florida

municipalities (800 square kilometers as opposed to 42,000

square kilometers in the Pastrana despeje) in Cauca

Department for 45 days to allow talks to begin. The group

also insists that any exchange involve the release of 500

FARC fighters held by the GOC, as well as the return of

&Simon Trinidad8 and &Sonia8 from the United States. The

FARC has tried to pressure the GOC to accede to their demand,

releasing on September 24 a &proof of life8 video of 12

Cauca Department legislators who pleaded with the GOC to meet

the FARC,s conditions. The FARC kidnapped the legislators

in April 2002.



3. (C) Casa Narino Communications director Jorge Mario

Eastman told us September 13 President Uribe met September 7

with Leyva and initially agreed to his proposal that the GOC

publicly accept the FARC,s request to demilitarize the two

municipalities. Leyva argued this would jumpstart the talks.

The GOC was prepared to make the announcement on September 8,

when it was sidetracked by the controversy surrounding the

alleged military involvement (montaje) in bombing attempts in

Bogota (reftel). Eastman said Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos

Restrepo and other GOC officials exploited the delay to

convince Uribe to reconsider his decision, stressing that

Leyva had provided no evidence that the FARC would enter into

serious talks if the GOC took this step. It was difficult to

tell if Leyva was acting on his own or was transmitting a

FARC message. He said the Leyva proposal is on hold for the

moment, but reiterated that Uribe remains impatient to engage

the FARC.



4. (C) Spanish Embassy DCM Pablo de Olea Gomez told us

September 21 that the accompanying countries have not had

direct contact with the FARC. They have urged Restrepo to

arrange with the Colombian military to create the conditions

inside Colombia needed to enable the three to hold a

two-to-three day meeting with the FARC, but to no avail.

They intend to pursue the issue with Uribe. Gomez said

conditions are ripe for a humanitarian exchange, but stressed

the GOC must drop its efforts to link such discussions to the

start of broader peace talks. The timing is not right for

broader discussions; the FARC is only interested in an

exchange at this time. He predicted Uribe would eventually

drop his insistence that the talks be tied to broader

discussions due to pressure from the international community

and from the families of the FARC hostages. The FARC holds

approximately 60 hostages*including three U.S. citizens

seized by the FARC in February 2003.



5. (C) Colombian military intelligence told us September

21 that it had received orders to prepare an evaluation

package for the demilitarization of Pradera and Florida

municipalities. Still, Defense Minister Santos said publicly

September 25 that there is no GOC plan underway to

demilitarize the Pradera and Florida municipalities. He said

the FARC has not met the conditions set by the GOC for

starting humanitarian talks. Local media reported that the

FARC has boosted its presence in the two municipalities,

leading to increased combat. Approximately 90,000 people

live in the area.

WOOD