NOISE ON HUMANITARIAN ACCORD MASKS LACK OF PROGRESS

UNCLAS BOGOTA 001339

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PGOV PHUM CO
SUBJECT: NOISE ON HUMANITARIAN ACCORD MASKS LACK OF PROGRESS


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Summary
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1. President Uribe authorized representatives of families of
FARC hostages to seek direct meetings with the terrorist
group and work towards an exchange of FARC hostages for
imprisoned terrorists. Representatives of the families,
including the mother of Ingrid Betancourt, blamed the FARC
for their loved ones' captivity but said Uribe should do more
to free them. In an interview with a French newspaper, Uribe
outlined why the FARC's professed interest in an humanitarian
accord was not sincere and reiterated his commitment to
fighting them. End summary.

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Uribe Authorizes Families to Seek FARC Contact
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2. On February 24, the presidency issued a statement
authorizing families of FARC hostages to seek direct meetings
with the terrorist group to facilitate an "humanitarian
accord." The statement said the GOC was amenable to contact
with the FARC and authorized hostage family spokesperson Lucy
de Gechen, wife of FARC hostage and Senator Jorge Eduardo
Gechen, to contact the group. The statement followed Uribe's
February 22 declaration that the GOC would intensify the
fight against the FARC because it had rejected Uribe's most
recent outreach effort, threatening rather than cooperating
with Uribe's (unnamed) emissary.

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Families Worry About Rhetoric
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3. Yolando Pulecio, mother of FARC hostage and former
presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, criticized the FARC
and Uribe on February 23, the occasion of Betancourt's 5th
anniversary of captivity. She recognized the FARC's
responsibility for taking her daughter hostage, but said
Uribe had not done enough to free her, points echoed by
Betancourt's two children, who now live in France. Claudia
Rujeles, wife of FARC hostage and former Meta governor Alan
Jara, said the FARC was intransigent, but urged Uribe to
overcome obstacles to an exchange of hostages for imprisoned
FARC terrorists. A number of hostage family representatives
criticized the rhetoric used by all sides, calling for
concrete steps to free their loved ones.

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Uribe Outlines Obstacles to Accord
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4. In an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro,
published on the presidency website on February 21, Uribe
said he was ready to meet with the FARC anywhere to discuss
an humanitarian accord, but saw three obstacles. First, the
FARC was not serious about the accord. It had continually
mislead interlocutors and had demonstrated no interest in
serious talks. Second, Uribe said the terrorist group had
refused to accept a December 2005 European proposal for a
200km security zone to discuss an exchange, free of all armed
actors, including GOC and FARC forces. Uribe repeated the
GOC would not accept a "demilitarized zone" that allowed FARC
terrorists to operate freely, a concession the FARC had
seriously abused during the presidency of Andres Pastrana.
Third, Uribe pointed out the FARC had refused to agree that
FARC terrorists released from jail enter GOC reintegration
programs or go into exile rather than return to FARC ranks.


5. Uribe insisted the GOC would continue to make every
effort to secure the hostages' release, either through an
humanitarian accord or through rescue efforts, if warranted.

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Comment
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6. The current flurry of comments surrounding an
humanitarian accord stems from the fifth anniversary of
Betancourt's seizure by the FARC, and does not represent any
real movement by the GOC or the FARC on the issue.

DRUCKER