FACILITATORS REPORT SMALL ADVANCES ON HUMANITARIAN \

103293 2007-04-04 19:07:00 07BOGOTA2244 Embassy Bogota CONFIDENTIAL VZCZCXYZ0000\ PP RUEHWEB\ \ DE RUEHBO #2244 0941907\ ZNY CCCCC ZZH\ P 041907Z APR 07\ FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA\ TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3911\ INFO RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN PRIORITY 1274\ RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 7468\ RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 8857\ RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ APR 8597\ RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 4914\ RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 9725\ RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1036\ RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 5547 C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 002244 \ \ SIPDIS \ \ SIPDIS \ \ E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2017 \ TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL MARR PHUM CO SUBJECT: FACILITATORS REPORT SMALL ADVANCES ON HUMANITARIAN \ EXCHANGE, BUT GOC UNAWARE OF FARC MOVEMENT ON KEY ISSUES \ \ \ Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer \ Reason: 1.4 (b,d) \ \ -------------- \ Summary \ -------------- \ \ ¶1. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX told us French and Swiss facilitators had met with FARC spokesperson \ Raul Reyes and appeared optimistic they could persuade the \ FARC to agree to a "zona de encuentro" to begin talks on a \ humanitarian exchange. The GOC was working well with the \ facilitators but saw no FARC movement to justify their \ optimism. End summary. \ \ ¶2. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX told us on April 3 that Swiss official Jean \ Pierre Gontard and French diplomat Noel Saenz, on behalf of \ the three accompanying countries (France, Switzerland and \ Spain),met with FARC spokesperson Raul Reyes in early March \ and returned enthusiastic about prospects for starting talks \ on a humanitarian accord. The two have recently traveled \ twice to the Central Cordillera, including Pradera and \ Florida municipalities, to consider potential sites for a \ "zona de encuentro" for accord negotiations. XXXXXXXXXXXX said \ the two are apparently convinced Florida and Pradera \ municipalities would not be an appropriate site--due to the \ heavy GOC military presence--and are looking at alternatives. \ They will meet again with Reyes in the near future to \ discuss potential sites, as well as the rules of the game for \ humanitarian negotiations. \ \ ¶3. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX said the Gontard/Saenz effort represents a \ small advance because the FARC previously insisted that a \ demilitarized zone must be created before it would discuss \ the rules governing any talks. XXXXXXXXXXXX said the GOC is \ working well with Gontard and Saenz, but is not as optimistic \ about the prospect of talks. The GOC has not yet seen any \ sign the FARC has changed its stance vis-a-vis an accord. \ \ ¶4. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX said the GOC welcomed the offer by U.S. \ Congressmen to accompany/be present in an eventual "zona de \ encuentro," as well as their support for the December 2005 \ European proposal of a 65 square mile security zone. The \ FARC insists it must have military control of any zone, \ because it fears the U.S. would try to seize its negotiators. \ XXXXXXXXXXXX said the presence of U.S. Congressmen would help \ assuage this concern. Uribe has asked XXXXXXXXXXXX to reach out \ to Gontard to urge him to contact Congressman McGovern or his \ staff. The GOC wants Gontard to support the Congressmen's \ offer and to keep McGovern informed as the talks with the \ FARC progress. \ \ ¶5. (U) In remarks at a Cali university on March 29, Uribe \ said he hoped the international facilitators would succeed in \ obtaining FARC agreement to a "zona de encuentro." He \ reiterated his two conditions: that released FARC terrorists \ enter a GOC reinsertion program and do not return to FARC \ ranks, and that there be no "demilitarized zone." \ Drucker \