Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BOGOTA1142
2007-02-16 14:09:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Bogota
Cable title:
URIBE ORDERS SEIZURE OF PARAMILITARY ASSETS
how-toVZCZCXYZ0001 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHBO #1142/01 0471409 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 161409Z FEB 07 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2763 INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 7412 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 8689 RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ FEB LIMA 4755 RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 9984 RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 5411 RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL 3890 RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RUEAWJC/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RHEHOND/DIRONDCP WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
UNCLAS BOGOTA 001142
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KJUS PGOV PINR PREL PTER CO
SUBJECT: URIBE ORDERS SEIZURE OF PARAMILITARY ASSETS
REF: A. BOGOTA 1013
B. 06 BOGOTA 9122
C. 06 BOGOTA 7481
-------
Summary
-------
UNCLAS BOGOTA 001142
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KJUS PGOV PINR PREL PTER CO
SUBJECT: URIBE ORDERS SEIZURE OF PARAMILITARY ASSETS
REF: A. BOGOTA 1013
B. 06 BOGOTA 9122
C. 06 BOGOTA 7481
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (SBU) On February 1, President Uribe instructed GOC
agencies to seize assets belonging to former paramilitaries.
Two-days later, the GOC took possession of 10 properties
belonging to former paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso.
National Judicial and Police Intelligence Director, General
Oscar Naranjo, reported the GOC had seized USD 7 million
worth of assets belonging to 25 former paramilitary leaders
in the last two months. Ex-paramilitary leaders "Macaco" and
"Gordolindo" publicly offered to surrender assets for
reparations, but to date do not appear to have transferred
any properties. A Colombian think tank estimated that full
reparations for victims of Colombia's armed conflict since
1964 would require between 25 and 44 billion dollars -- 19 to
33 percent of GDP. End summary.
--------------
Uribe Orders Seizure of Assets
--------------
2. (SBU) On February 1, President Uribe instructed the
National Judicial Police Intelligence (DIJIN) and the
Prosecutor General's Office (Fiscalia) to begin seizing
assets belonging to former paramilitaries. Uribe's decision
followed the late January murder of human rights activist
Yolanda Izquierdo (Ref A). The first seizure occurred on
February 3 when the GOC took possession of 10 properties
belonging to former paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso in
Tierralta, Cordoba department, and neighboring areas. It
appears only one of the ten properties was in Mancuso's name.
(Although Uribe's move was aimed at preventing the assets
from being tampered with, several observers said the
confiscation was not consistent with reparation guidelines
under the Justice and Peace Law (JPL) process (Ref B)).
--------------
USD 7 Million Worth Already Seized
--------------
3. (U) DIJIN Director General Oscar Naranjo said the GOC had
seized USD 7 million in assets belonging to former
paramilitary leaders in recent months. Naranjo said the
DIJIN and the Fiscalia have now seized over 400 properties
that belonged to 25 ex-paramilitary leaders. Late last year,
the Fiscalia seized 110 assets of ex-para leader Francisco
Javier Zuluaga (AKA "Gordolindo") in three departments. The
Fiscalia also seized a 20,000-hectare property belonging to
former paramilitary leaders Victor Manuel and Miguel Angel
Mejia (AKA "Los Mellizos") in Aguachica, Cesar department.
Naranjo said the assets would be placed in the custody of the
Fiscalia's Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit and
would ultimately be to make reparations to victims.
-------------- ---
Ex-Paramilitary Leaders Offer to Turn Over Assets
-------------- ---
4. (U) On February 13, former paramilitary leaders in Itagui
maximum-security prison said they would hand over assets for
reparations. The first one to submit his list of land
holdings and real estate properties to National
Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (CNRR) President
Eduardo Pizarro was ex-para leader Carlos Mario Jimenez (AKA
"Macaco"). (The CNRR serves as a verifier for victim's
reparations.) Macaco said he would surrender rural and urban
properties, such as ranches, houses, and hundreds of head of
cattle, as reparations for victims in Bolivar, Santander,
Putumayo, Caqueta, Magdalena, Cauca, Caldas, Risaralda, and
Quindio departments. He claimed the properties "are fully
productive, were not fruit of plunder or usurpation, and have
not been subjected to expropriation." Meanwhile, Gordolindo
made a public offer of assets that were already in the hands
of the Fiscalia. Still, there is no evidence of any
properties having been transferred.
5. (SBU) Para leaders have claimed that during the
demobilization process they turned over to the GOC the
equivalent of USD 52 million in properties, vehicles, and
aircraft (Ref C). Some individual blocs have also returned
properties to victims in Medellin, Uraba, and
Barrancabermeja. Pizarro said the CNRR is working with every
demobilized bloc to assist with reparations in communities
where they exercised influence. The private Conflict
Analysis Resource Center estimated that full reparations for
victims of Colombia's armed conflict since 1964 would require
between 25 and 44 billion dollars -- 19 to 33 percent of GDP.
DRUCKER
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KJUS PGOV PINR PREL PTER CO
SUBJECT: URIBE ORDERS SEIZURE OF PARAMILITARY ASSETS
REF: A. BOGOTA 1013
B. 06 BOGOTA 9122
C. 06 BOGOTA 7481
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (SBU) On February 1, President Uribe instructed GOC
agencies to seize assets belonging to former paramilitaries.
Two-days later, the GOC took possession of 10 properties
belonging to former paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso.
National Judicial and Police Intelligence Director, General
Oscar Naranjo, reported the GOC had seized USD 7 million
worth of assets belonging to 25 former paramilitary leaders
in the last two months. Ex-paramilitary leaders "Macaco" and
"Gordolindo" publicly offered to surrender assets for
reparations, but to date do not appear to have transferred
any properties. A Colombian think tank estimated that full
reparations for victims of Colombia's armed conflict since
1964 would require between 25 and 44 billion dollars -- 19 to
33 percent of GDP. End summary.
--------------
Uribe Orders Seizure of Assets
--------------
2. (SBU) On February 1, President Uribe instructed the
National Judicial Police Intelligence (DIJIN) and the
Prosecutor General's Office (Fiscalia) to begin seizing
assets belonging to former paramilitaries. Uribe's decision
followed the late January murder of human rights activist
Yolanda Izquierdo (Ref A). The first seizure occurred on
February 3 when the GOC took possession of 10 properties
belonging to former paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso in
Tierralta, Cordoba department, and neighboring areas. It
appears only one of the ten properties was in Mancuso's name.
(Although Uribe's move was aimed at preventing the assets
from being tampered with, several observers said the
confiscation was not consistent with reparation guidelines
under the Justice and Peace Law (JPL) process (Ref B)).
--------------
USD 7 Million Worth Already Seized
--------------
3. (U) DIJIN Director General Oscar Naranjo said the GOC had
seized USD 7 million in assets belonging to former
paramilitary leaders in recent months. Naranjo said the
DIJIN and the Fiscalia have now seized over 400 properties
that belonged to 25 ex-paramilitary leaders. Late last year,
the Fiscalia seized 110 assets of ex-para leader Francisco
Javier Zuluaga (AKA "Gordolindo") in three departments. The
Fiscalia also seized a 20,000-hectare property belonging to
former paramilitary leaders Victor Manuel and Miguel Angel
Mejia (AKA "Los Mellizos") in Aguachica, Cesar department.
Naranjo said the assets would be placed in the custody of the
Fiscalia's Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit and
would ultimately be to make reparations to victims.
-------------- ---
Ex-Paramilitary Leaders Offer to Turn Over Assets
-------------- ---
4. (U) On February 13, former paramilitary leaders in Itagui
maximum-security prison said they would hand over assets for
reparations. The first one to submit his list of land
holdings and real estate properties to National
Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (CNRR) President
Eduardo Pizarro was ex-para leader Carlos Mario Jimenez (AKA
"Macaco"). (The CNRR serves as a verifier for victim's
reparations.) Macaco said he would surrender rural and urban
properties, such as ranches, houses, and hundreds of head of
cattle, as reparations for victims in Bolivar, Santander,
Putumayo, Caqueta, Magdalena, Cauca, Caldas, Risaralda, and
Quindio departments. He claimed the properties "are fully
productive, were not fruit of plunder or usurpation, and have
not been subjected to expropriation." Meanwhile, Gordolindo
made a public offer of assets that were already in the hands
of the Fiscalia. Still, there is no evidence of any
properties having been transferred.
5. (SBU) Para leaders have claimed that during the
demobilization process they turned over to the GOC the
equivalent of USD 52 million in properties, vehicles, and
aircraft (Ref C). Some individual blocs have also returned
properties to victims in Medellin, Uraba, and
Barrancabermeja. Pizarro said the CNRR is working with every
demobilized bloc to assist with reparations in communities
where they exercised influence. The private Conflict
Analysis Resource Center estimated that full reparations for
victims of Colombia's armed conflict since 1964 would require
between 25 and 44 billion dollars -- 19 to 33 percent of GDP.
DRUCKER