ERADICATION PROGRESSES AND INTERIOR MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L LIMA 003995 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2016 TAGS: PGOV SNAR PE SUBJECT: ERADICATION PROGRESSES AND INTERIOR MINISTER STRENGTHENS SUPPORT REF: A. LIMA 3882 ¶B. LIMA 3677 Classified By: NAS Director Susan Keogh Reason: 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Starting September 28, Coca eradicators have uprooted 30 hectares per day despite minor protests in the field. Interior Minister Mazzetti has taken a firmer public stance against the cocaleros and in favor of the eradication program, stating: "Police have a right to repel violence". NAS-funded academies continue training police from coca zones to support the eradication and interdiction. End Summary. Field Visit Shows Eradication Progress -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Poloff accompanied INL desk officer and ONDCP Policy Analyst on an October 5 NAS field visit to the eradication site in San Martin Department and the NAS-funded Mazamari police academy. The eradication field coordinator estimated the CORAH (eradication) team had removed 30 hectares per day of illegal coca since eradication resumed on September 28 (ref A). The morning of the visit CORAH workers discovered near the coca field a 12m by 3m maceration pit for conversion of coca to coca paste. When the commanding officer asked the group of 6-7 protesting cocaleros which of them owned the pit, they immediately dispersed to avoid being directly linked with narcotrafficking. Two-days before, protesters in the field had been more aggressive, throwing rocks at the police and eradicators and, in one case, attacking a police officer with a machete. The attacking cocalero was subdued, but fell and hit his head and was later treated on site by a CORAH medic. The police and eradicators adhered to proper procedures. No one else was injured and eradication progresses. Interior Minister Takes a Stronger, Supporting Stance -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) After seeming to capitulate to cocalero demands by halting eradication only to resume it with some disclaimers (refs),Interior Minister Pilar Mazzetti has taken a stronger stand, recently stating that "Police have the right to repel violence" when defending eradicators. Nuancing her position slightly, she said that the police would "avoid major social confrontations." (Note: The statements are significant since in past weeks she said police would avoid all conflict. End Note.) Before making these statements, Mazzetti appeared to be capitulating to the cocalero demands to stop eradication and to restructure the counternarcotics program. In the weeks following the Sion incident (Ref B),former Interior Minister and NAS consultant Fernando Rospigliosi, among others, strongly criticized Mazzetti in the press for not taking a firmer stand and supporting the police. Ricardo Valdez, an associate of Rospigliosi, told NAS Director and Poloff that the strong criticism of Mazzetti was calculated to stake out a position opposite the cocaleros and give Mazzetti a claim to the middle ground in the debate. NAS Academies Supply the Police -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Washington visitors toured the NAS-funded Mazamari counternarcotics police training academy. The graduates, many of whom were in the field with the eradicators, work on eradication and interdiction missions for 3 years before returning to their communities to serve as police officers. The Mazamari academy, and its counterparts in Ayacucho and Santa Lucia, will graduate 750 officers this year. Police Major Fernando Fonseca at Mazamari said the indigenous Ashaninka graduates often return to their communities to assist with security, medical attention, and education. He added that the Ashaninka graduates provide valuable insight and intelligence from the isolated communities that led to the seizure of over 740 kilos of cocaine HCL since June. Comment -------------- ¶5. (C) Interior Minister Mazzetti is on a steep learning curve, but making progress. She was heavily criticized in the press for siding with the cocaleros after the Sion incident. Politically appeasing cocaleros has dangerous implications for counternarcotics workers in the field. That Mazzetti appears to have moved to a middle ground, and more openly supported the eradicators and the police who protect them, is a welcome development. End Comment. STRUBLE